Traquairaspis

Traquairaspis
Temporal range: Late Silurian–Early Devonian
Reconstruction of T. cambelli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Heterostraci
Order:
Traquairaspidiformes
Family:
Traquairaspididae
Genus:
Traquairaspis

Kiær 1932
Type species
Traquairaspis campbelli
(Traquair 1912) Kiær 1932
Species
  • T. adunata Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. broadi Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. campbelli (Traquair 1912) Kiær 1932
  • T. guttata Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. lemniscata Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. mackenziensis Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. plana (Brotzen 1934)
  • T. poolei Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. pustulata Dineley & Loeffler 1976
  • T. rambaldi Broad 1968
  • T. retusa Dineley & Loeffler 1976
Synonyms
  • Orthaspis Brotzen 1934
  • Lophaspis Brotzen 1934 non Redtenbacher 1895
  • Lophaspiscis Whitley 1951

Traquairaspis is a genus of extinct heterostracan agnathan fish known from the Silurian and Early Devonian periods. It is predominantly known from Late Silurian fluvial deposits from Wales and England: some species were also found in shallow water marine environment in Canada and North America.[1]

The head-shield and body armor of most species form an almond shape. Plates have a distinctive ornamentation of tubercles: this ornamentation is very similar to the plate ornamentation of the heterostracan Weigeltaspis. This similarity of ornamentation creates much confusion over the taxonomical placement of Weigeltaspis, in addition to confusion over whether or not an isolated plate is of Traquairaspis, or of Weigeltaspis.[2]

The generic name honors Ramsay Heatley Traquair.

  1. ^ Dineley, DL (1964). "New specimens of Traquairaspis from Canada". Palaeontology. 7 (2): 210–219. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2015-07-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Tarlo, Halstead. "LB t1965) Psammosteiformes tAgnatha)—A review with descriptions of new material from the Lower Devonian of Poland, II. Systematic Part." Palaeontologia Polonica 15: 168. Pages 20-21