Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
559 / Paleozoic
Cheirolepis
Cheirolepis trailli
Tiny rhomboid scales, a deeply forked tail and broad gape marked an early ray-finned fish radiation.
View original image · 1600 × 1067- Time range
- About 390–380 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Devonian
- Geographic range
- Freshwater lakes and rivers · Scotland
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Cheirolepis?
Cheirolepis (Cheirolepis trailli) was an extinct organism known from About 390–380 million years ago, with a range in Freshwater lakes and rivers · Scotland.
Life and ecology
It chased small fish and arthropods through lakes and drew prey into flexible jaws.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Cheirolepis disappear?
More derived ray-finned fishes appeared later, but a younger fauna does not by itself show that they replaced this early combination.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Cheirolepis?
Complete skeletons, scales and gut contents directly document anatomy and diet.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Rewrote an extinction cause that presented environmental or faunal turnover as established; it is now given as context the record does not prove.
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS