''Austroptyctodus gardineri'' is a small

ptyctodontid The ptyctodontids ("folded-teeth") are placoderms of the order Ptyctodontida, containing the family Ptyctodontidae. With their big heads, big eyes, reduced armor and long bodies, the ptyctodontids bore a superficial resemblance to modern day ch ...

placoderm fish from the Upper Devonian

Gogo Formation The Gogo Formation in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is a Lagerstätte that exhibits exceptional preservation of a Devonian reef community. The formation is named after Gogo Station, a cattle station where outcrops appear and fossils ...

of Western

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. First described by Miles & Young (1977) as a new species of the German genus '' Ctenurella''. Long (1997) redescribed the German material and found major differences in the skull roof pattern so assigned it to a new genus, ''Austroptyctodus''. This genus lacks spinal plates and has ''

Ptyctodus ''Ptyctodus'' is an extinct armour-plated fish of the late Devonian. ''Ptyctodus'' belongs to the family Ptyctodontidae and is of the class Placodermi. They share a close resemblance to modern day chimaeras (Holocephali). Fossils of this armour- ...

''-like toothplates. The most significant discovery about ''Austroptyctodus'' is that one specimen depicts a female pregnant with 3 unborn embryos inside her, showing that like ''

Materpiscis ''Materpiscis'' (Latin for ''mother fish'') is a genus of ptyctodontid placoderm from the Late Devonian located at the Gogo Formation of Western Australia. Known from only one specimen, it is unique in having an unborn embryo present inside t ...

'', also from Gogo, this genus was a live bearer that reproduced through

internal fertilization Internal fertilization is the union of an egg and sperm cell during sexual reproduction inside the female body. Internal fertilization, unlike its counterpart, external fertilization, brings more control to the female with reproduction. For inter ...

.Long, J.A., Trinajstic, K.,Young, G.C. & Senden, T. 2008. Live birth in the Devonian period. Nature 453: 650-653.

References

Placoderms of Australia Placoderm genera Gogo fauna Ptyctodontids Fossil taxa described in 1997 {{Placoderm-stub