Apateodus

Apateodus (meaning "confusing tooth") is a genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish which was described by Woodward in 1901. It was a relative of modern lizardfish and lancetfish in the order Aulopiformes, and one of a number of prominent nektonic aulopiforms of Cretaceous marine ecosystems.

The genus spans from the Albian to the late Maastrichtian, and appears to have been distributed worldwide; specimens have been found in Russia, India, the United States (Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas), Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Taxonomy
Apateodus has generally been placed in the suborder Enchodontoidei alongside most other Cretaceous nektonic aulopiforms, although its affinities have long been uncertain. However, since the 2000s, it has generally been placed in the family Ichthyotringidae. However, some authors have still placed it as an indeterminate enchodontoid, ichthyotringoid, alepisauroid, or even elsewhere in the Aulopiformes as the sister to the barracudinas, the latter two of which have been contradicted by anatomical studies.

The following species are known:


 * †?A. assisi Schwarzans, Huddlestone & Takeuchi, 2018 - Santonian of Alabama, USA
 * †A. busseni Franz & Shimada, 2009 - Coniacian of Kansas, USA
 * †A. corneti (Forir, 1887) - Maastrichtian of the Netherlands
 * †A. crenellatus Schwarzans & Stringer, 2020 - Maastrichtian of Mississippi, USA
 * †A. glyphodus (Blake, 1863) - Albian of the United Kingdom
 * †A. lanceolatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom
 * †A. striatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom, Cenomanian-Turonian of Germany, Maastrichtian of India

Indeterminate remains are known from Canada (Alberta), Russia (Belgorod), and the United States (Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota). A potential undescribed genus closely allied to Apateodus was identified in 2020 from fossils from Kansas.

Description
Known by well preserved skull remains, Apateodus is estimated to be around 1 meter (3.3ft) in length, and would have been an effective mesopredator.