List of prehistoric jawless fish
Encyclopedia
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
from the fossil record that have ever been considered to be jawless fish, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomina dubia
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
), or were not formally published (nomina nuda
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered acanthodians. Modern forms are excluded from this list.
Naming conventions and terminology
Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological NomenclatureInternational Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
. Technical terms used include:
- Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
- Nomen nudumNomen nudumThe phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
(Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. - Nomen oblitumNomen oblitumA nomen oblitum is a technical term, used in zoological nomenclature, for a particular kind of disused scientific name....
(Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal. - Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
- Nomen dubiumNomen dubiumIn zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
(Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.
A
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- †AlainaspisAlainaspisAlainaspis platyrhina is a species of jawless fish which existed in what is now the Northwest Territories of Canada, during the upper Silurian period. It was first named by David Elliott and David Dineley in 1985, and is placed in the monotypic genus Alainaspis, closely related to Boothiaspis....
- †Allocryptaspis
- †Amaltheolepis
- †Americaspis
- †Amphiaspis
- †Anatolepsis
- †Angaraspis
- †Angaralepis
- †Anglaspis
- †Apalolepis
- †ArandaspisArandaspisArandaspis prionotolepis is an extinct species of jawless fish that lived in the Ordovician period, about 480 to 470 million years ago. It is the oldest known vertebrate....
- †Archegonaspis
- †Archipelepis
- †Archodus
- †Ariaspis
- †AserotaspisAserotaspisAserotaspis is an extinct genus of jawless fish which existed in what is now northern Canada. It was first named by Dineley and Loeffler in 1976, and contains the species Aserotaspis canadensis....
- †Asketaspis
- †Aspidosteus
- †AstraspisAstraspisAstraspis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish from the Ordovician of Central North America and Bolivia . It is related to other Ordovician fishes, such as the South American Sacabambaspis, and the Australian Arandaspis.-Basic Anatomy:Astraspids are hypothesized to have been about 200mm...
- †Atelaspis
- †Athenaegis
- †AuchenaspisAuchenaspisAuchenaspis salteri is an extinct species of armored jawless fish of the order Thyestiida from the Late Silurian of England. In England, A. salteris fossils are found in extreme abundance in the Lower Old Red Sandstone strata in Ledbury, Herefordshire.A...
- †Australolepis
B
- †Barlowodus
- †BirkeniaBirkeniaBirkenia is a genus of extinct anaspid fish from the Late Silurian to the Early Devonian of Europe. It reached a length of 4 in and was an active swimmer....
- †Boothaspis
- †Boothialepis
- †Boreania
- †Bystrowia
C
- †Canadapteraspis
- †Canonia
- †CephalaspisCephalaspisCephalaspis was a genus of armored goldfish-sized to trout-sized detritivorous fish that lived in freshwater streams and estuaries of early Devonian Western Europe...
- †CephalopterusCephalopterusCephalopterus is a genus of:*Umbrellabird*Cephalopterus , fish...
- †Chattertonodus
- †Clydonaspis
- †Coelolepides
- †Coelolepis
- †CometicercusCometicercusCometicercus is an extinct genus of thelodont which lived in Canada during the Early Devonian period. It is only known from its caudal fin and parts of its dorsal surface, including its dorsal fin....
- †Conopiscius
- †Corvaspis
- †Corveolepis
- †Coscinodus
- †CtenaspisCtenaspisCtenaspis is an extinct genus of jawless fish from the early Devonian of Europe and North America.species*Ctenaspis kiaeri -Sources:*Vertebrate Fossils and the Evolution of Scientific Concepts by W. Sargeant*BioLib.cz...
- †Cyathaspis
D
- †Darmuthia
- †Didymaspis
- †Dikenaspis
- †Dinaspidella
- †Dipnoides
- †Drepanaspis
- †DrepanolepisDrepanolepisDrepanolepis is an extinct genus of thelodont which lived in Canada during the Early Devonian period....
- †Dyreaspis
E
- †Edaphaspis
- †Eestilepis
- †Eglonaspis
- †Empedaspis
- †Ennosviaspis
- †Erepsilepis
- †Eriptychius
F
- †Fieldingaspis
- †FurcacaudaFurcacaudaAccording to the Systema Naturae 2000 Taxonomic classification, Furcacauda is a genus within the familyof Furcacaudidae, within the order Thelodonti, the Class Agnatha, and the Subphylum Vertebrata....
G
- †Gampsolepis
- †Glacialepis
- †Glossoidaspis
- †Gompholepis
- †Goniophorus
- †Gonioporus
- †Goniporus
- †Grumantaspis
- †Gunaspis
- †Gyropeltus
H
- †Hardistiella
- †Helenolepis
- †HemicyclaspisHemicyclaspisHemicyclaspis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish, closely related to Cephalaspis, that lived in the Devonian period in what is now Europe and North America....
- †Homaspidella
I
- †Ilemoraspis
- †Illoganellia
- †Irregulariaspis
J
- †JamoytiusJamoytiusJamoytius kerwoodi was a species of primitive, eel-like jawless fish that lived in the Silurian period.J. kerwoodi is the earliest known anaspid.. It had long, paired fins running along its body - making it a good swimmer. J. kerwoodi resembled a lamprey, especially with its rounded mouth and...
- †Jesslepis
K
- †Kallostracon
- †Karelosteus
- †Katoporodus
- †Katoporus
- †Kawalepsis
- †Kiaeraspis
- †Kiangsuaspis
L
- †LanarkiaLanarkiaLanarkia is an extinct genus of jawless fish which existed in what is now Scotland during the upper Silurian period. It contains the species Lanarkia horrida and Lanarkia spinosa....
- †Larolepis
- †LasaniusLasaniusLasanius is an extinct genus of anaspida from the Late Silurian. It was 27 mm in length.Fossils found in Ayrshire, Muikirk, Scotland and Seggholm.-External links:*...
- †LepidaspisLepidaspisLepidaspis serrata is an extinct heterostracan jawless fish from Early Devonian Canada. Its genus name refers to the fact that the shield is composed of hundreds of tiny scales....
- †Liliaspis
- †Listraspis
- †Loganella
- †Loganellia
- †LoganiaLoganiaLogania is a genus of plants belonging to the family Loganiaceae. Native to Australia and New Zealand the genus at least 24 species including herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers.Species include:*Logania albiflora Druce...
- †LongodusLongodusLongodus is an extinct genus of thelodont, placed in its own family – Longopdidae – which existed in what is now Estonia during the Ludlow epoch of the upper Silurian period. The type and only species is Longodus acicularis....
M
- †Mayomyzon
- †Myxinikela
N
- †Nahanniaspis
- †Neeyambaspis
- †Nethertonodus
- †Nikolivia
- †Nunavutia
O
- †Obliaspis
- †Oeselaspis
- †Oeselia
- †Overia
P
- †Pachylepis
- †Palaeodus
- †PalaeospondylusPalaeospondylusPalaeospondylus gunni is a mysterious, fish-like fossil vertebrate. Its fossils are described from Achannaras slate quarry in Caithness, Scotland....
- †Palaeosteus
- †ParaloganiaParaloganiaParalogania is a genus of thelodont known from the Upper Silurian ; the best deposits are from the Baltic region, but it is widespread in the northern hemisphere....
- †Parathelodus
- †Paraturinia
- †Pelaspis
- †Pezopallichthys
- †Phillipsilepis
- †PhlebolepisPhlebolepisPhlebolepis was an extinct genus of Thelodont fish belonging to the Katoporidae family, whiched lived in the Early Silurian to Late Silurian . Fossils have been found in the Baltic, Europe, North America, Russia and Siberia. Phlebolepis was small, 10 cm long....
- †Pilolepsis
- †Pionaspis
- †Pituriaspis
- †Poraspis
- †Poriferaspis
- †Porophoraspis
- †Praetrilogania
- †ProcephalaspisProcephalaspisProcephalaspis is an extinct genus of jawless fish.-References:* Telling the Evolutionary Time: Molecular Clocks and the Fossil Record by Philip C J Donoghue and M. Paul Smith...
- †Protaspis
- †Psephaspis
- †PteraspisPteraspisPteraspis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish that lived in the Devonian period of what is now Britain and Belgium....
- †Ptomaspis
- †Pycnaspis
- †PycnosteusPycnosteusPycnosteus is an extinct genus of jawless fish from the Devonian. It is thought to have cruised through vegetation, eating small invertebrates which it knocked loose .- Sources :* Fishes of the World by Joseph S. Nelson...
R
- †Rabdacanthus
- †Rhabdiodus
S
- †Saaremaaspis
- †SacabambaspisSacabambaspisSacabambaspis is an extinct genus of jawless fish that lived in the Ordovician period. It is related to Astraspis.-Description:Sacabambaspis had a head shield made from a large upper plate that rose to a slight ridge in the midline, and a deep curved lower plate...
- †Sandivia
- †Sanidaspis
- †Schizosteus
- †Sclerodus
- †Seretaspis
- †Shielia
- †Siberiaspis
- †Sigurdia
- †Skamolepis
- †Sophialepis
- †SphenonectrisSphenonectrisSphenonectris is an extinct genus of thelodont, which lived in Canada during the Early Devonian period.-External links:* http://fossils.valdosta.edu/fossil_pages/fossils_dev/f5.html...
- †Steinaspis
- †StroinolepisStroinolepisStroinolepis is a genus of thelodontid that lived during the Middle Ordovician period in what is now Russia....
- †Strophisterus
- †SuperciliaspisSuperciliaspisSuperciliaspis is an extinct genus of jawless fish which existed in the what is now the Northwest Territories of Canada during the Lochkovian age. Originally identified as a species of Cephalaspis by Dineley and Loeffler in 1976, it was reassigned to Superciliaspis gabrielsi by Adrain and Wilson...
T
- †Talimaalepis
- †Talivalia
- †Tannuaspis
- †Tareyaspis
- †Tartuosteus
- †Tesakoviaspis
- †ThelodusThelodusThelodus is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish that lived in the Silurian period. Fossils have been found worldwide.Thelodus belonged to the Thelodonti, a group of jawless fish lacking the armored plating characteristic of the related Heterostraci. The position of Thelodus`s mouth suggests...
- †Thelolepis
- †Thelolepsis
- †Thulolepis
- †ThyestesThyestes (fish)Thyestes was an extinct genus of ostracoderm fish of Europe that lived in the Late Silurian Wenlock epoch. It superficially resembles Cephalaspis, but was closely related to Auchenaspis and Tremataspis....
- †Timanaspis
- †Tolypelepis
- †TremataspisTremataspisTremataspis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish from the Silurian period of what is now Estonia.An osteostracid, Tremataspis was about in length, and had an armored shield covering its head. Compared with its relatives, the shield was unusually elongated, covering the whole front of the...
- †Trimerolepis
- †Turinea
- †Turinia
- †Tuvaspis
- †Tylodus
- †Tyriaspis
V
- †Valiukia
- †Valyalepis
- †Vernonaspis
W
- †Waengsjoeaspis
- †WitaaspisWitaaspisWitaaspis was an extinct genus of osteostraci fish that lived in the Wenlock and Ludlow stages of the Silurian period....
See also
- AgnathaAgnathaAgnatha is a superclass of jawless fish in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata. The group excludes all vertebrates with jaws, known as gnathostomes....
- CephalaspidomorphiCephalaspidomorphiCephalaspidomorphs are a group of jawless fishes named for the cephalaspids, a group of osteostracans. Most biologists regard this taxon as extinct, but the name is sometimes used in the classification of lampreys because lampreys were once thought to be related to cephalaspids...
- List of prehistoric bony fish
- List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes)
- PteraspidomorphiPteraspidomorphiPteraspida is an extinct class of early jawless fish. The fossils show extensive shielding of the head. Some species may have lived in fresh water.The taxon contains the subgruops Heterostraci, Astraspida, Arandaspida....
- ThelodontiThelodontiThelodonts are a group of small, extinct jawless fishes with distinctive scales instead of large plates of armor....