What is Lepidotes ?
Lepidotes (sometimes written Lepidotus ) is a Jurassic and Cretaceous bony fish related to modern gars. Inhabiting both freshwater lakes and shallow seas, Lepidotes occasionally grew to over two metres in length. The body was covered with thick, enamelled scales. Batteries of peg-like teeth enabled Lepidotes to crush the shells of its molluscan prey.
The remains of Lepidotes have been discovered alongside those of the dinosaur Baryonyx, suggesting that it in turn was a victim of this fearsome fish-eating predator.
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