Home Previous Random Next Search
STRUNIUS
(stru-ne-us)
Strunius
Named By: unavailable
Time Period: Late Devonian
Location: Germany and Latvia
Size: About 10 centimetres long
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore
Fossil(s): Several specimens
Classification: | Chordata | Sarcopterygii | Onychodontida | Onychodontidae |
About

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

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. 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.

Read more about Strunius at Wikipedia
PaleoCodex is a weekend hack by Saurav Mohapatra