Actinolepidae

Actinolepidae

Actinolepidae

Extinct family of fish

Actinolepidae is an extinct family of placoderm fishes which lived during the Early Devonian period. They are considered to be among the most primitive of the arthrodires, and are widely accepted to be phylogenetically basal to the group.[1]

Quick Facts Actinolepidae Temporal range: Early Devonian, Scientific classification ...

Description

The bodies of Actinolepids are wide and flat, suggesting that most members of this family were benthic fish. Their jaws were comparatively underdeveloped in comparison to the more robust-jawed arthrodires that would come after them, such as Dunkleosteus and Coccosteus, indicating that it likely subsisted primarily on smaller, softer-bodied animals such as mollusks, or worms instead of larger, tougher prey animals.[2]

References

  1. [1]
    "Actinolepidae - Palaeos.org". Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  2. [2]
    Dupret, Vincent (7 December 2010). "Revision of the genus Kujdanowiaspis Stensiö, 1942 (Placodermi, Arthrodira, "Actinolepida") from the Lower Devonian of Podolia (Ukraine)". Geodiversitas. 32 (1): 5–63. doi:10.5252/g2010n1a1. S2CID 129505974. Retrieved 7 December 2021.


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