Xenacanthus

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Xenacanthus
Temporal range: Carboniferous–Permian
Skeletal reconstruction of Xenacanthus decheni
Life restoration of Xenacanthus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: †Xenacanthida
Family: †
Xenacanthidae
Genus: †Xenacanthus
Beyrich, 1848
Type species
Xenacanthus decheni
Species

See text

Synonyms

Pleuracanthus Agassiz 1837

Xenacanthus (from Ancient Greek

freshwater
environments, and fossils of various species have been found worldwide.

Description

Xenacanthus is relatively small member in its order.[1] X. decheni reached about 1 m (3.3 ft),[2] X. meisenheimensis reached up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft),[3] X. (Expleuracanthus) gaudryi reached 58 cm (1.90 ft).[4] X. parallelus is one of the smallest xenacanth, male reached 20 cm (0.66 ft) and female reached 34 cm (1.12 ft), both are fully grown.[5]

The

conger eels, and Xenacanthus probably swam in a similar manner. A distinctive spine projected from the back of the head and gave the genus its name. The spike has even been speculated to have been venomous, perhaps in a similar manner to a sting ray. The teeth had an unusual "V" shape, and it probably fed on small crustaceans and heavily scaled palaeoniscid fishes.[6]
As with many xencanths, Xenacanthus is mainly known because of fossilised teeth and spines.

Fossils are known from the Carboniferous-Permian of North America, Europe, and South America. Triassic species have been moved into the separate genus Mooreodontus.[7][8][9]

Species

  • X. texensis
  • X. atriossis
  • X. compressus
  • X. indicus
  • X. decheni
  • X. denticulatus
  • X. erectus
  • X. gibbosus
  • X. gracilis
  • X. howsei
  • X. laevissimus
  • X. latus
  • X. luedernesis
  • X. ossiani
  • X. ovalis
  • X. parallelus
  • X. ragonhai - Rio do Rasto Formation, Brazil
  • X. robustus
  • X. serratus
  • X. slaughteri
  • X. taylori

References

  1. ^ Beck, Kimberley G.; oler-Gijón, Rodrigo; Carlucci, Jesse R.; Willis, Ray E. (December 2014). "Morphology and Histology of Dorsal Spines of the Xenacanthid Shark Orthacanthus platypternus from the Lower Permian of Texas, USA: Palaeobiological and Palaeoenvironmental Implications". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 61 (1): 97–117. doi:10.4202/app.00126.2014
  2. ^ Schneider, Joerg W.; Zajíc, Jaroslav (1994). "Xenacanths (Pisces, Chondrichthyes) of the Middle European Upper Carboniferous and Permian - revision of the originals to Goldfuss 1847, Beyrich 1848, Kner 1867 and Fritsch 1879-1890". Freiberger Forschungshefte-Reihe C-Geowissenschaften. 452: 101–152.
  3. ^ Heidtke, U.H.J. (2003). "Neue Rekonstruktionen xenacanthider Haie aus dem Permokarbon des Saar-Nahe-Beckens (SW-Deutschland)" (PDF). Mitteilungen der Pollichia. 90: 19–28.
  4. ISSN 0001-7272
    .
  5. ^ Soler-Gijón, R. (2004). "Development and growth in xenacanth sharks: new data from Upper Carboniferous of Bohemia". G. Arratia, M.V.H. Wilson, and R. Cloutier (eds.), Recent Advances in the Origin and Early Radiation of Vertebrates: 533–562.
  6. ISBN 1-84028-152-9
    .
  7. ISSN 0883-1351
    .
  8. ISSN 1437-3254
    .
  9. ISSN 0001-3765
    .

External links
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