Hemicyclaspis Explained

Hemicyclaspis (or 'semicircle plate') is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish, closely related to Cephalaspis, that lived in the Late Silurian (Pridoli)[1] to Devonian period in what is now Europe and North America.A typical cephalaspid, Hemicyclaspis had a heavily armored, shovel-shaped headshield. It is thought to have been a better swimmer than most of its relatives because of its powerful tail, stabilizing dorsal fin and the keel-shaped hydrodynamic edges of its head shield. Hemicyclaspis probably foraged the ocean floor for food.[2]

Hemicyclaspis grew to a length of 5 inches (13 centimeters) and would most likely have fed on particles from the muddy sea bed.

References

Notes and References

  1. Blieck. Alain. Elliott. David K.. 2017-06-01. Pteraspidomorphs (Vertebrata), the Old Red Sandstone, and the special case of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, U.K.. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. en. 128. 3. 438–446. 10.1016/j.pgeola.2016.07.003. 0016-7878.
  2. Book: Palmer, D.. 1999 . The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Marshall Editions. London. 25. 1-84028-152-9.