Anaspid Birkenia Anaspid Jawless Fish Fossil

Description: The Anaspids were simple dorso-laterally compressed fish that probably led a bottom-dwelling existence. Their main common feature was a jawless mouth. Indeed the name means without jaws. They were mostly quite small fishes that flourished during the Silurain and Devonian that then became extinct except for their modern-day relatives the Lampreys and Hagfishes. The gills opened as a row of holes along the side of the animal, typically numbering from 6-15. One unusual example from Canada holds the record for gills at 30 pairs! They probably behaved much like the lampreys, and most lived in freshwater environments. This fine example is known as Birkenia. It had an elaborate array of dorsal scales, some of which are seen here. Complete examples of the Anaspida are quite rare; the repaired crack does little to detract from this exceptional specimen. All the diagnostic features of the taxon are displayed within this high-quality specimen that came from a 50 year old collection.