New insights into the genus Ophiopsiella (Neopterygii: Halecomorphi) from the Upper Jurassic of the Solnhofen Archipelago

Prompted by the rediscovery of type specimens, the genus Ophiopsiella within the Halecomorphi is revised, thereby correcting two taxonomic aspects within this genus. Firstly, the recent discovery of one of the syntypes of Ophiopsiella attenuata has made it clear that the morphotypes of O. procera and O. attenuata have been confused by previous authors. And secondly, O. attenuata is a junior synonym of Ophiopsiella tenuiserrata. In the Upper Jurassic we have two species of Ophiopsiella which are clearly separated by their morphotypes. O. procera is the morphotype with a horizontally elongated dorsal fin with 27–28 fin rays and with relatively short anterior rays and O. tenuiserrata is the morphotype with 24–25 dorsal fin rays of which the anterior-most four dorsal fin rays are extremely elongated compared with subsequent rays, forming a crescent-shaped concave curve posteriorly.