Cheiracanthus

Extinct genus of cartilaginous fishes

Cheiracanthus
Temporal range: Middle Devonian
Fossil of Cheiracanthus latus at the London Natural History Museum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Acanthodii
Order: Acanthodiformes
Family: Cheiracanthidae
Genus: Cheiracanthus
Agassiz, 1835
Type species
Cheiracanthus murchisoni

Cheiracanthus (from Greek: χείρ kheír, 'hand' and Greek: ἄκανθα akantha, 'spine')[1] is an extinct genus of a group of fish called Acanthodii (or "spiny sharks").[2] It was a deep-bodied acanthodian about 12 in. (30 cm) in length. It had a blunt head, upturned tail, and fins protected by spines. Unlike many other acanthodians, it had one, solitary dorsal fin. Cheiracanthus swam at mid-depth in lakes and rivers, seizing small prey in its gaping jaws. Whole fossils of this fish occur only in Mid-Devonian rocks in Scotland, but its distinctive small, ornamented scales crop up around the world, as far south as Antarctica.

Life restoration of Cheiracanthus murchisoni

See also

References

  1. ^ Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 29. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  2. ^ Burrow, Carole; Blaauwen, Jan den; Newman, Michael (2020-04-01). "A redescription of the three longest-known species of the acanthodian Cheiracanthus from the Middle Devonian of Scotland". Palaeontologia Electronica. 23 (1): 1–43. doi:10.26879/1035. ISSN 1094-8074.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Gnathostomata
    • see Gnathostomata
Chondrichthyes
    • see below↓
  • Cassidiceps
  • Euthacanthus
  • Latviacanthus
  • Ramirosuarezia?
Sinacanthidae
  • Hunanacanthus
  • Neosinacanthus
  • Sinacanthus
  • Tarimacanthus
"Ischnacanthiformes"
  • Acanthospina
  • Campylodus
  • Granulacanthus
  • Machaeracanthus?
  • Onchus
  • Serradentus
Acritolepidae
Ischnacanthidae
  • Arcticacanthus
  • Arenaceacanthus
  • Atopacanthus
  • Bracteatacanthus
  • Cacheacanthus
  • Erymnacanthus
  • Euryacanthus
  • Gomphonchus
  • Grenfellacanthus
  • Ischnacanthus
  • Marsdenius?
  • Persacanthus
  • Plectrodus
  • Rockycampacanthus
  • Rohonilepis
  • Taemasacanthus
  • Tricuspicanthus
  • Xylacanthus
Podoliacanthidae
Poracanthodidae
  • Gomphonchoporus
  • Machaeraporus
  • Obruchevacanthus?
  • Poracanthodes
  • Radioporacanthodes
  • Taimyrolepis
  • Trundlelepis
  • Zemlyacanthus
Diplacanthiformes
  • Bryantonchus
  • Culmacanthus?
  • Devononchus
  • Striacanthus
  • Tetanopsyrus
  • Uraniacanthus
Diplacanthidae
Acanthodiformes
  • Halimacanthodes
  • Howittacanthus
Acanthodidae
Cheiracanthidae
  • Cheiracanthus
  • Fallodentus
  • Ginkgolepis
  • Homalacanthus
  • Markacanthus
Mesacanthidae
"Climatiiformes"
and related taxa
Climatiidae
Gyracanthidae
"Conventionally defined
chondrichthyans"
    • see below↓
Ischnacanthus gracilis

Diplacanthus sp. Acanthodes lopatini

Brochoadmones milesi
"Conventionally defined chondrichthyans"
"Conventionally defined chondrichthyans"
Antarctilamnidae
Mcmurdodontidae
Pucapampellidae
  • Gydoselache
  • Pucapampella
Omalodontiformes
  • Siberiodus
Aztecodontidae
Omalodontidae
  • Doliodus?
  • Omalodus
  • Portalodus
"Ctenacanthiformes"
  • Neosaivodus
  • Saivodus
  • Sculptospina
  • Tamiobatis
Ctenacanthidae
Heslerodidae
Jalodontidae
  • Adamantina
  • Isacrodus
  • Jalodus
  • Keuperodus
  • Texasodus
Phoebodontidae
Symmoriiformes
Cladoselachidae?
Falcatidae
Symmoriidae
Bransonelliformes
Xenacanthiformes
Diplodoselachidae
  • Decentrodus
  • Diplodoselache
  • Hagenoselache
  • Hokomata
  • Lebachacanthus
  • Taquaralodus
Xenacanthidae
Crown-Chondrichthyes
Doliodus problematicus

Ctenacanthus concinnus Cobelodus sp.

Xenacanthus decheni
Incertae sedis scale-based taxa
Altholepidiformes?
Elegestolepidida?
  • Kannathalepis
Elegestolepididae
Mongolepidida?
  • Solinalepis
Mongolepididae
  • Mongolepis
  • Rongolepis
  • Sodolepis
  • Taklamakanolepis
  • Teslepis
Shiqianolepidae
  • Chenolepis
  • Shiqianolepis
  • Tielikewatielepis
  • Xiaohaizilepis
  • Xinjiangichthys
Tchunacanthidae
  • Fecundosquama
  • Lenacanthus
  • Tchunacanthus
Vesperaliidae
  • Acanthacanthus
  • Vesperalia
Others
  • Canyonlepis?
  • Frigorilepis?
  • Funicristata
  • Gualepis
  • Ivanelepis
  • Jolepis
  • Karksilepis
  • Lunalepis
  • Nobilesquama
  • Nostolepis
  • Nostovicina
  • Ohiolepis
  • Seretolepis
  • Tuvalepis
  • Wellingtonella?
  • Yuanolepis
  • Category
Taxon identifiers
Cheiracanthus


Stub icon

This article about an Acanthodii prehistoric fish is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e
Stub icon

This article related to a Devonian fish is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e