Phyllolepida

Phyllolepis

• Europe, Greenland
• Australia, Antarctica

The Phyllolepida ( Phyllolepidae ) are a group of extinct placoderms, fishy, armored vertebrates from the Devonian. The animals live in fresh water.

Features

The fish were flattened front and heavily armored, the mean bone plates are always significantly larger than that at the sides. The head is protected above by a single, central panel, which is surrounded by smaller side. The bone plates have a distinctive pattern of concentric ribs on its outer side. Behind the pectoral fins of the tanks is not closed. The largest Phyllolepida were 50 to 60 inches long. The unarmored torso and the tail is long and strong.

The Phyllolepida were probably blind. They lack the necessary breakthroughs for the eyes in the head tank and the surrounding eyes at other Placodermen ring of small bones. The sensory canals on the head shield are well developed.

Perhaps the Phyllolepida lived as hunters wait, buried in the muddy river bottom, waiting for passing floating loot they captured with open mouth and a few sharp blows of the long tail.

System

The taxon was first known only by the generic Phyllolepis and became the jawless fishes found to Erik Stensio 1936 proved that they belong to the Placodermen. Maybe they are primitive Arthrodiren. To date, only five genera have been described: Austrophyllolepis, Cobandrahlepis, Phyllolepis, Placolepis and Yurammia.