''Pteraspis'' (from el, πτερόν 'wing' or 'fin' and el, ἀσπίς 'shield') is an extinct genus of

pteraspidid Pteraspididae is an extinct family of heterostracan vertebrates. It is an Early Devonian-aged family that contains the stereotypical, torpedo-shaped pteraspidids, such as the type genus, ''Pteraspis'', and its close relatives '' Errivaspis'' and ...

heterostracan Heterostraci (Ancient Greek, ἕτερος+ὄστρακον "those itha different shell" i is pl. of -us is an extinct subclass of pteraspidomorph jawless vertebrate that lived primarily in marine and estuary environments. Heterostraci exi ...

agnatha Agnatha (, Ancient Greek 'without jaws') is an infraphylum of jawless fish in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, consisting of both present (cyclostomes) and extinct (conodonts and ostracoderms) species. Among recent animals, cyclosto ...

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...

that lived from the

Lochkovian The Lochkovian is one of three faunal stages in the Early Devonian Epoch. It lasted from 419.2 ± 3.2 million years ago to 410.8 ± 2.8 million years ago. It marked the beginning of the Devonian Period, and was followed by the Pragian Stage. It is ...

Eifelian The Eifelian is the first of two faunal stages in the Middle Devonian Epoch. It lasted from 393.3 ± 1.2 million years ago to 387.7 ± 0.8 million years ago. It was preceded by the Emsian Stage and followed by the Givetian Stage. North American ...

epochs of the Devonian period in what is now Brazil (

Maecuru Formation), Britain (

Ditton Group), Ukraine (Lochkovian Ivane Suite, Pragian Babin Sandstone) and Belgium.

Description

Estonian Museum of Natural History - Pteraspis

Like other heterostracan fishes, ''Pteraspis'' had a protective armored plating covering the front of its body. Though lacking fins other than its lobed tail, it is thought to have been a good swimmer thanks to stiff, wing-like protrusions derived from the armoured plates over its gills. This, along with the horn-like

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ships * Ros ...

, made ''Pteraspis'' very streamlined in shape; a perfect quality for a good swimmer. ''Pteraspis'' also had some stiff spikes on its back, possibly an additional form of protection against predators. It is thought to have fed from shoals of

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

just under the ocean surface, and is found in association with marine fossils. ''Pteraspis'' grew to an estimated length of .

References

Pteraspidiformes genera Devonian jawless fish Early Devonian fish Early Devonian genus first appearances Lochkovian life Pragian life Emsian life Eifelian life Middle Devonian genus extinctions Early Devonian fish of Europe Devonian England Fossils of England Paleozoic Ukraine Fossils of Ukraine Devonian animals of South America Devonian Brazil Fossils of Brazil Fossil taxa described in 1835 Fossil taxa described in 1847 Taxa named by Louis Agassiz {{Devonian-jawless-fish-stub