| Fossil range | Lochkovian-Eifelian, ~ |
|---|---|
| Taxon | Pteraspis |
| Authority | Kner, 1847 |
| Type species | Cephalaspis rostrata |
| Type species authority | Agassiz, 1835 |
| Subdivision ranks | Species |
| Subdivision |
|
Pteraspis (from Greek: πτερόν pteron 'wing' or 'fin' and Greek: ἀσπίς aspís 'shield') is an extinct genus of pteraspidid heterostracan jawless fish. It existed from the Lochkovian to Eifelian epochs of the Devonian period in areas that are now the Americas and Europe.[1]
Description
Like other heterostracan fishes, Pteraspis had a protective armored plating covering the front of its body, and no fins other than a lobed tail. Despite this, Pteraspis had two wing-like protrusions derived from the armoured plates over its gills, and a single protrusion in the center of its back. This, along with its horn-like rostrum, possibly indicates good swimming ability. Pteraspis also has a series of stiff spines on its back, possibly as a form of protection against predators. It is thought to have fed from shoals of plankton just under the ocean surface.[2] Some records are found in association with marine fossils,[3][4] while some others are found in freshwater environments.[5]
The largest recorded specimens of Pteraspis grew to an estimated length of 27 centimetres (11 in).[6]
References
- ^ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ Palmer, D. (ed.) (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 23. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ Lankester, E. R. (1870). "I.—On a New Cephalaspis Discovered in America, etc". Geological Magazine. 7 (75): 397–399. Bibcode:1870GeoM....7..397L. doi:10.1017/S0016756800209485. S2CID 140161565
- ^ White, E. I. (1938). "New Pteraspids from South Wales". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 94 (1–4): 85–116. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1938.094.01-04.05. S2CID 130276490
- ^ Davies, Benjamin Evan (2009-07-03). An experimental morphological investigation into the hydrodynamics and locomotion of the Palaeozoic jawless vertebrates Poraspis, Errivaspis and Ateleaspis. (thesis). University of Leicester.
- ^ White, Errol Ivor (22 October 1935). "The Ostracoderm Pteraspis Kner and the relationships of the agnathous vertebrates". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 225 (527): 386-387. – via Royal Society Publishing.