List of acanthodians

File:Mesacanthus Parexus Ischnacanthus.JPG

Various primitive acanthodians from Early Devonian England and Scotland, Mesacanthus pusillus, Parexus falcatus, Ishnacanthus gracilis

This list of acanthodians is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the subclass Acanthodii, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomina dubia), or were not formally published (nomina nuda), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered acanthodians.

The list includes 107 genera.

• Extinct genera are marked with a dagger (†).
• Extant genera are bolded.

Naming conventions and terminology

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

• Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
• Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen.
• Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal.
• Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
• Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.

The List

Genus	Status	Age	Location	Description	Images
†Acanthacanthus	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.		Error creating thumbnail: File missing Acanthodes. File:Climatius.jpg Climatius. File:Climatius BW.jpg A school of Climatius. File:Mesacanthus.jpg Mesacanthus. File:Nostolepis.jpg Nostolepis.
†Acanthodopsis	Valid.	Pennsylvanian.	Europe.
†Acanthopora	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Acanthospina	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Acanthodes	Valid.	Early Devonian. Cisuralian.
†Acritolepis	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Aganacanthus	Valid.	Mississippian.
†Antacanthus	Valid.	Mississippian.
†Antarchtonchus	Valid.
†Apateacanthus	Valid.	Late Devonian.	North America.
†Archaeacanthus	Valid.	Middle Devonian.	Europe.
†Arcticacanthus	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Arenaceacanthus	Valid.		Europe.
†Atopacanthus	Valid.	Middle Devonian. Late Devonian.
†Brachyacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Bracteatacanthus	Valid.		Europe.
†Brochoadmones	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Bryantonchus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Byssacanthoides	Valid.
†Cacheacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Campylodus	Valid.
†Canadalepis	Valid.
†Carycinacanthus	Valid.	Mississippian.
†Cassidiceps	Valid.	Early Devonian.	North America.
†Cheiracanthoides	Valid.	Middle Devonian. Late Devonian.
†Cheiracanthus	Valid.
†Climatius	Valid.
†Ctenacanthus	Valid.		South America.
†Culmacanthus	Valid.
†Devononchus	Valid.	Late Devonian.	Europe.
†Diplacanthus	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Doliodus	Valid.	Ludlow. Early Devonian.
†Eiffellepis	Valid.	Middle Devonian.
†Erriwacanthus	Valid.
†Endemolepis	Valid.
†Eupleurogmus	Valid.	Mississippian.	Australia.
†Euthacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Fecundosquama	Valid.		Europe.
†Gemuendolepis	Valid.	Early Devonian.	Europe.
†Gladiobranchus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Gomphacanthus	Valid.	Pridoli. Pennsylvanian.
†Gomphonchoporus	Valid.
†Gomphonchus	Valid.	Ludlow.	Severnaya Zemlya.
†Granulacanthus	Valid.	Wenlock or Ludlow.	North America.
†Grenfellacanthus	Valid.
†Gyracanthides	Valid.	Mississippian.
†Gyracanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian. Pennsylvanian.
†Hanilepis	Valid.	Ludlow.
†Haplacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian. Late Devonian.	Europe.
†Helenacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Helolepis	Valid.
†Holmesella	Valid.	Pennsylvanian.	North America.
†Homacanthus	Valid.	Middle Devonian. Pennsylvanian.	Europe. North America.
†Homalacanthus	Valid.
†Howittacanthus	Valid.
†Ischnacanthus	Valid.	Pridoli. Early Devonian.
†Kathemacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Latviacanthus	Valid.
†Lodeacanthus	Valid.
†Lupopsyrus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Machaeracanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian. Late Devonian.
†Marsdenius	Valid.	Pennsylvanian.
†Mesacanthus	Valid.
†Monopleurodus	Valid.	Pridoli.	Europe.
†Monospina	Valid.
†Nodocosta	Valid.	Early Devonian. Late Devonian.
†Nodonchus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Nostolepis	Valid.	Wenlock. Middle Devonian.	Severnaya Zemlya.
†Onchus	Valid.	Llandovery. Late Devonian.	Europe. North America.
†Oracanthus	Valid.	Mississippian.
†Parexus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Paucicanthus	Valid.		North America.
†Persacanthus	Valid.	Late Devonian.
†Pinnacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.	North America.
†Plectrodus	Valid.
†Protodus	Valid.	Early Devonian. Middle Devonian.	North America.
†Poracanthodes	Valid.	Ludlow.
†Protogonacanthus	Valid.	Late Devonian.
†Pruemolepis	Valid.	Early Devonian. Mississippian.
†Pseudacanthodes	Valid.	Pennsylvanian.
†Ptomacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Ptychodictyon	Valid.
†Radioporacanthodes	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Rhadinacanthus	Valid.
†Rockycampacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Rohonilepis	Valid.		Europe.
†Sabrinacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Sevyacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Sinacanthus	Valid.	Middle Devonian.	Asia.
†Striacanthus	Valid.	Middle Devonian. Late Devonian.	Australia.
†Taemasacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Tetanopsyrus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Triazeugacanthus	Valid.	Late Devonian.
†Traquairia	Valid.
†Traquairichthys	Valid.
†Trundlelepis	Valid.
†Uraniacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Utahacanthus	Valid.
†Vernicomacanthus	Valid.	Early Devonian.
†Vesperalia	Valid.		Europe.
†Watsonacanthus	Valid.		Severnaya Zemlya.
†Welteldorifa	Valid.	Middle Devonian.
†Xylacanthus	Valid.		North America.
†Yealepis	Valid.

See also

• Acanthodians
• List of placoderms
• List of prehistoric bony fish
• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish
• List of prehistoric jawless fish

External links

• Paleobiology Database entry on the class "Acanthodii"