| Xenacanthus Temporal range:
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| Skeletal reconstruction of Xenacanthus decheni, drawn in 1909 | |
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| Life restoration of Xenacanthus | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | †Xenacanthida |
| Family: | †Xenacanthidae |
| Genus: | †Xenacanthus Beyrich, 1848 |
| Type species | |
| Xenacanthus decheni | |
| Species | |
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See text | |
| Synonyms | |
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Pleuracanthus Agassiz 1837 | |
Xenacanthus (from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, 'foreign, alien' + ἄκανθος, akanthos, 'spine') is an extinct genus of xenacanth cartilaginous fish. It lived in freshwater environments, and fossils of various species have been found worldwide.