''Akmonistion'' is an
extinct genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
holocephalian
Holocephali ("complete heads"), sometimes given the term Euchondrocephali, is a subclass of cartilaginous fish in the class Chondrichthyes. The earliest fossils are of teeth and come from the Devonian period. Little is known about these primit ...
that lived in the
Early Carboniferous
Early may refer to:
History
* The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.:
** Early Christianity
** Early modern Europe
Places in the United States
* Early, Iowa
* Early, Texas
* ...
. The genus contains a single species, ''A. zangerli'', discovered by
Stan Wood
Stanley Wood (23 July 1905 – 17 February 1967) was an English footballer who played as an outside left. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Halifax Town.
Career
Wood was born in Winsford, Cheshire and att ...
in 1982. It is distinguished by an unusual enlarged formation of the dorsal fin, called a "spine-brush complex", of unknown function. This is also found in the better known genus ''
Stethacanthus''. Remains have only been found near
Bearsden in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
.
The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek “''akmon''” (“anvil”) + ''“istion''” (“sail”) referring to the appearance of its first dorsal fin.
It reached in length.
References
Carboniferous fish of Europe
Fossil taxa described in 2001
Symmoriiformes
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