ACTINOPTERYGIAN FISHES (OSTEICHTHYES, ACTINOPTERYGII) FROM THE KALKSCHIEFERZONE (UPPERMOST LLADINIAN) NEAR MERIDE (CANTON TICINO, SOUTHERN SWITZERLAND)

During three small-scale excavations in the Kalkschiefer-Zone (Uppermo st Ladinian) near the village of Meride, Canton Ticino, some fish foss ils were found alongside remains of plants, invertebrates and reptiles . The fishes are exclusively actinopterygians, with the neopterygian P rohalecites porroi being the predominant species with 60 found specime ns. Five specimens of Perleidus altolepis allow a more derailed recons truction of this species. Among the other taxa found are a fragment of Gyrolepis sp., two, presumably new species of Peltopleurus, a few spe cimens of Archaeosemionotus sp. and three specimens of Ophiopsis cf. l epturus. A preliminary comparison is made between the fossil fishes fo und near the village of Meride and those already described from the co ntemporaneous locality Ca' del Frate, (Viggiu, Northern Italy).