''Ectillaenus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

trilobite Trilobites (; meaning "three lobes") are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the At ...

s in the order

Corynexochida Corynexochida is an order of trilobite that lived from the Lower Cambrian to the Late Devonian. Like many of the other trilobite orders, Corynexochida contains many species with widespread characteristics. The middle region of the cephalon (the ...

. These nektobenthic carnivores lived in the

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start ...

period, from 478.6 to 449.5 Ma.

Taxonomy

Species include: *''Ectillaenus advena'' (Barrande, 1872) *''Ectillaenus benignensis'' (Novák in Perner, 1918) *''Ectillaenus holubi '' (Šnajdr, 1956) *''Ectillaenus katzeri'' (Barrande, 1872) *''Ectillaenus sarkaensis'' (Novák in Perner, 1918)

Distribution

Fossils of this genus have been found in the

sediments of Czech Republic, France, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom, as well as in the

Arenig In geology, the Arenig (or Arenigian) is a time interval during the Ordovician period and also the suite of rocks which were deposited during this interval. History The term was first used by Adam Sedgwick in 1847 with reference to the "Areni ...

of the United Kingdom.

References

Corynexochida genera Illaenina Ordovician trilobites Extinct animals of Europe {{Corynexochida-stub