Most bobasatraniiforms were small [25 centimetres (9.8 in) or less], but some species of Bobasatrania grew up to 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) long or larger.[2][3] Bobasatraniiformes have a deepend body, a
heterocercal caudal fin, and they often lack
pelvic fins (present in Dorypterus, very small in Ebenaqua). Their dorsal and anal fins are often elongate (very elongate
dorsal fin in Dorypterus). The body is covered in rhombic scales (scale cover reduced in Dorypterus). Their jaw bones lack teeth. Instead, they possessed strong tooth plates used to crush shelled prey animals similar to Modern
osteoglossomorphs (
Teleostei).
The evolutionary relationships of Bobasatraniiformes with other
actinopterygians is not well known, but they are usually placed outside of
Neopterygii.[4]
^
abcdBöttcher, Ronald (2014). "Phyllodont tooth plates of Bobasatrania scutata (Gervais, 1852) (Actinoperygii, Bobasatraniiformes) from the Middle Triassic (Longobardian) Grenzbonebed of southern Germany and eastern France, with an overview of Triassic and Palaeozoic phyllodont tooth plates". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 274 (2–3): 291–311.
doi:
10.1127/njgpa/2014/0454.
^Russell, Loris S. (1951). "Bobasatrania? canadensis (Lambe), a giant chondrostean fish from the Rocky Mountains". Annual Report of the National Museum of Canada, Bulletin. 123: 218–224.
^Neuman, Andrew G. (2015). "Fishes from the Lower Triassic portion of the Sulphur Mountain Formation in Alberta, Canada: geological context and taxonomic composition". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 52 (8): 557–568.
Bibcode:
2015CaJES..52..557N.
doi:
10.1139/cjes-2014-0165.