Enigmatic Thelodont Fossil Fish Lanarkia from Silurian Scotland

Description: The Thelodontia are a group of fishes most commonly known from their distinctive tooth-like scales. Indeed the term Thelodont , derived from Greek, means nipple tooth. The teeth have a characteristic crown made of dentine. The scales even on a single specimen are quite variable. Thelodonts are rarely found as complete specimens; those that are show them to be flattened fish, many of which were bottom dwellers. Recent finds of intact specimens from Canada show that they radiated into some deep-bodied forms that swam freely in the water column. These deep-bodied forms may have been more closely allied with jawed fishes than their other relatives. All Thelodonts were extinct by the Upper Devonian. This high-quality specimen that has recently been obtained from a 50 year old collection shows the distinctive scales. While only displaying the distalmost 80% of the fish, it is a most affordable example of these enigmatic fish.