| Acanthodes Fossil range: 409–284 Ma Early Carboniferous to Early Permian | |
|---|---|
 Acanthodes bronni from the Early Permian of Germany | |
| Scientific classification
| |
|
Acanthodii | |
|
Acanthodiformes | |
|
Acanthodes | |
Acanthodes is an extinct genus of spiny shark.[1] Fossils have been found in Europe, North America, and Australia.
Description[]
Compared with other spiny sharks, Acanthodes was relatively relatively large, at 30 centimetres (12 in) long. The genus had no teeth[2], instead having tooth-like spikes on its gills. Because of this, it is presumed to have been a filter feeder, filtering plankton from the water.[3]
It also had fewer spines than many of its relatives. Each of the paired pectoral and pelvic fins had a spine, as did the single anal and dorsal fins, giving it a total of just six, less than half that of many other species.[3]
Discovery[]
Notes[]
- ^ Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. Volume V.. 1880. pp. p115. doi:. http://books.google.com/books?id=69kKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA115&dq=Acanthodes+extinct&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=uW5xSLeqM4z-tAOS08i6Bg.
- ^ Nicholson, Henry Alleyne; Richard Lydekker (1889). A Manual of Palaeontology. p. 966. http://books.google.com/books?id=MoAXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA966&dq=Acanthodes+pectoral+fins&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=_3FxSNTfCoqIswOHhNSuBg#PPA966,M1.
- ^ a b Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 30–31. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
