Brindabellaspis

Period of life:

408–393 million years ago

Period:

Devonian period

Habitat:

Marine environment

Taxonomy:

Placodermes

Height:

7 m

Countries:

Devonian period Brindabellaspis | 3D Dinopedia

Tiktaalik

Dipterus

Brindabellaspis (408–393 million years ago)

Meaning of the name: “Shield of the Brindabella Ranges”

Brindabellaspis is an extinct fish that lived during the Early Devonian period in what is now Australia. This animal belonged to the class of placoderms, a group of armored fishes that dominated the seas and freshwater habitats of the Paleozoic era.

Brindabellaspis was a unique creature, differing from its relatives in its unusual head shape and likely lifestyle.

Brindabellaspis was relatively small, about 50 centimeters in length. Its fossils were found in ancient coral reef deposits, indicating that this fish was part of a rich and diverse ecosystem.

Brindabellaspis also possessed a unique sensory canal on the premedial plate of its head, running along the midline of the fish. Such an arrangement is not seen in other known vertebrates.

All these features indicate that Brindabellaspis was a highly specialized fish adapted to a benthic (bottom-dwelling) lifestyle. Its “platypus-like” rostrum (the elongated part of the head in front of the eyes) was probably a sensitive organ that helped it locate food at the bottom.

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