Strunius
Temporal range: Late Devonian
Restoration of S. rolandi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Sarcopterygii
Order: †Onychodontiformes
Family: †Onychodontidae (?)
Genus: †Strunius
Jessen, 1966
Type species
†Strunius rolandi
Jessen, 1966

Strunius is an extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period of Germany.

Restoration of a pair

Although it was a lobe-finned fish, Strunius' fins were supported by fin rays, which are more associated with ray-finned fish. However, its skull was composed of two articulating halves, a feature characteristic of the lobe-finned rhipidistians. The skull was also divided by a deep articulation, with both halves probably connected by a large muscle, increasing the power of the bite.[1] The same system is seen in coelacanths and the better-known Eusthenopteron.

Compared to other lobe-finned fishes, Strunius had a rather short, stubby body, and was just 10 centimetres (4 in) long. It was covered in large, round, bony scales, and probably fed on other fishes.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 42. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.