Pharyngolepis
Extinct genus of jawless fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pharyngolepis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish that lived in the Silurian period of what is now Norway.
| Pharyngolepis Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Superclass: | †Anaspidomorphi |
| Class: | †Anaspida |
| Order: | †Birkeniiformes |
| Family: | †Pharyngolepididae Kiær 1924 corrig. |
| Genus: | †Pharyngolepis Kiaer 1911 |
| Type species | |
| Pharyngolepis oblonga Kiær 1911 | |
| Species | |
| |
Pharyngolepis had well-developed anal and caudal fins, but no paired or dorsal fins that would have helped stabilise it in the water, and so was probably a poor swimmer, remaining close to the sea bottom. The pectoral fins were instead replaced by bony spines, possibly for protection against predators, and there was a row of spines along the back. It probably scooped up food from the ocean floor.[1]
