Ischyodus

Ischyodus quenstedti from the Upper Jurassic of Solnhofen in Munich Palaeontological Museum

• North America, Russia, Germany, England, New Zealand

Ischyodus is an extinct Seekatzengattung that occurred from the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene. Fossils of the genus have been found in North America, Russia, Germany, England and New Zealand.

Features

The representatives of the genus Ischyodus belonged to the large chimaeras and were about 1.5 meters long. The head was large, and probably had a pointed rostrum. The mouth was slightly inferior. In the lower jaw two rows sat rhombic teeth. The palate teeth were small. The body was long and ran out in a pointed tail. The pectoral fins and the first dorsal fin were great. The latter had a triangular shape. She wore a large, serrated rear thorn. The males had another, shorter, slightly curved spike on the head. The second dorsal fin formed a low Flossensaum.

System

The genus Ischyodus is provided along with Brachymylus, Pachymylus and Edaphodon in the extinct Seekatzenordnung the Edaphodontidae that associates the American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson as subfamily Edaphodontinae the plow nose chimeras ( Callorhinchidae ).