See text Lepidotidae is an extinct family of fish, known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Most species were originally assigned to the genus Lepidotes which was long considered a wastebasket taxon.

Cladistic analysis has indicated that they are close relatives of gars, with both being members of the order Lepisosteiformes.

[1] Their bulky body morphology and small median fins suggests that they were slow-moving fish that were capable of performing fine movements in order to grasp prey.

[2] Lepidotes sensu stricto had peg-like grasping marginal teeth and crushing palatal teeth, and is known to have consumed small crustaceans,[3] while Scheenstia had low rounded crushing marginal teeth, indicating a durophagous diet.