Listracanthus

Listracanthus; Temporal range: Late Carboniferous to Early Triassic 326.4–251 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Cluster of Listracanthus denticles on display at the Milan Natural History Museum
	Denticles of the holotype specimen of L. pectenatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	incertae sedis
Family:	†Listracanthidae
Genus:	†Listracanthus; Newberry & Worthen, 1870
Species
	L. beyrichi von Koenen, 1879; L. eliasi Hibbard, 1938; L. hildrethi Newberry, 1875; L. hystrix Newberry & Worthen, 1870 (type) ; L. pectenatus Mutter & Neuman, 2006; L. wardi Woodward, 1891; L. woltersi Schmidt, 1949;

Listracanthus is a genus of extinct chondrichthyan with uncertain affinities. Species of Listracanthus are known primarily from their tremendous, feather-like denticles, which range up to four inches in length. The denticles had a large main spine, from which secondary spines emanate from the sides, like the barbs of a feather or a comb. Listracanthus first appeared in late Carboniferous strata in North America, and eventually disappear from the fossil record some time during the Early Triassic.^[1]

The appearance of these sharks are largely unknown. However, author and illustrator Ray Troll mentions in his book, Sharkabet, about how paleontologist Rainer Zangerl once discovered a large shale slab containing a long, eel-like fish covered in long, spine-like denticles characteristic of the genus, only to have it dry out and crumble into dust. As such, according to Zangerl's account, Troll reconstructs Listracanthus as resembling a tremendous, fiercely bristled frill shark.^[3] However, other authors have noted that Listracanthus-like denticles have been found associated with the remains of Menaspiformes like Deltoptychius (which do not have eel-like bodies), and have suggested that Listracanthus is a member of this group.^[4]

Martill et al., (2014) created the genus Acanthorhachis for the species formerly known as "Listracanthus" spinatus (Bolton, 1896). They also erected the family Listracanthidae to encompass the two genera.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Mutter, R.J.; Neuman, A.G. "An enigmatic chondrichthyan with Paleozoic affinities from the Lower Triassic of western Canada". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 51 (2): 271–282.
^ Listracanthus on the Paleobiology Database
^ Ray Troll (2002). Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z. Westwinds Press, ISBN 1558685197
^ Patterson, Colin, 1965, The phylogeny of the chimaeroids: Royal Soc. London, Phil. Trans., scr. B, Biol. Sel., v. 249, no. 757, p. 101-219, pl. 22-28.
^ MARTILL, DAVID M.; DEL STROTHER, PETER J. A.; GALLIEN, FLORENCE (2013-07-08). "Acanthorhachis, a new genus of shark from the Carboniferous (Westphalian) of Yorkshire, England". Geological Magazine. 151 (3): 517–533. doi:10.1017/s0016756813000447. ISSN 0016-7568. S2CID 129437036.

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[mutter2006-1] Mutter, R.J.; Neuman, A.G. "An enigmatic chondrichthyan with Paleozoic affinities from the Lower Triassic of western Canada". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 51 (2): 271–282.

[TPBDB-2] Listracanthus on the Paleobiology Database

[3] Ray Troll (2002). Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z. Westwinds Press, ISBN 1558685197

[4] Patterson, Colin, 1965, The phylogeny of the chimaeroids: Royal Soc. London, Phil. Trans., scr. B, Biol. Sel., v. 249, no. 757, p. 101-219, pl. 22-28.

[5] MARTILL, DAVID M.; DEL STROTHER, PETER J. A.; GALLIEN, FLORENCE (2013-07-08). "Acanthorhachis, a new genus of shark from the Carboniferous (Westphalian) of Yorkshire, England". Geological Magazine. 151 (3): 517–533. doi:10.1017/s0016756813000447. ISSN 0016-7568. S2CID 129437036.

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