Stethacanthidae

Live reconstruction of Stethacanthus

• North America
• Europe
• Asia

The Stethacanthidae are a family from the group of Symmoriida within the cartilaginous fish. It was first described by Richard Lund in 1974 and includes the two genera Stethacanthus and Akmonistion. Fossils have been found in North America, Europe and Asia and have been dated to the Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous.

Features

Typical for this family is a brush-like appendage on the shoulder region. This is open to the inflated surface with teeth. The extension consists of a basal plate on the shoulder, one lying in front, laterally compressed sting, as well as the occupied area with teeth behind it. Basal plate and the brush formed of hollow rods consist of calcified cartilage, the spines of trabecular dentine, surrounded by bone tissue. Also on top of the skull, just in front of the extension, teeth are detected.

System

The Stethacanthidae only be formed by the two genera Stethacanthus and Akmonistion. As next of kin applies falcatus. The two form an unnamed group that is considered to be the sister taxon Symmoriidae with the genera Cobelodus, Denaea and Symmorium.

Symmoriidae

Falcatus

Stethacanthidae