Phyllolepis

Phyllolepis Temporal range: Famennian 380–360 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Placodermi
Order:	†Arthrodira
Family:	†Phyllolepididae
Genus:	†Phyllolepis Agassiz 1844
Type species
Phyllolepis concentrica Agassiz 1844
Species
P. delicatula 1880 P. woodwardi Woodward, 1915 P. oryini Heintz, 1930 P. soederberghi Sensiö, 1936 P. nielseni Sensiö, 1939 P. undulata P. konincki P. neilseni P. thomsoni Long and Daeschler,2013 P. rossimontina Land and Cuffey, 2005

Phyllolepis (from the Greek roots for ‘leaf’ and ‘scale’)^[1] is the type genus of Phyllolepida, an extinct taxon of arthrodire placoderm fish from the middle to late Devonian.^[2] The species of Phyllolepis, themselves, are restricted to the Famennian-aged freshwater strata of the Late Devonian, around 360 million years ago. Fossils of this genus have been found primarily in Europe and North America.^[2] The end of the Devonian saw them disappear in a mass extinction.

Phyllolepis lived in freshwater environments, possibly rivers and streams. As with all other known phyllolepids, Phyllolepis were presumed to have been blind, bottom-dwelling predators that detected prey through sensory organs in the surface grooves of their armor plates (which gave their plates a distinctive "wooden surface" appearance).