Acanthodians

Acanthodians have been divided into four orders: Acanthodiformes, Climatiiformes, Diplacanthiformes, and Ischnacanthiformes. "Climatiiformes" is a paraphyletic assemblage of early acanthodians such as climatiids, gyracanthids, and diplacanthids; they had robust bony shoulder girdles and many small sharp spines ("intermediate" or "prepelvic" spines) between the pectoral and pelvic fins. The climatiiform subgroup Diplacanthida has subsequently been elevated to its own order, Diplacanthiformes. Ischnacanthiforms were predators with tooth plates fused to their jaws. Acanthodiforms were filter feeders with a single dorsal fin, toothless jaws, and long gill rakers. They were the last and most specialized off the traditional acanthodians, as they survived up until the Permian period.