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Austroptyctodus Temporal range: Late Frasnian
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Placodermi
Order:	†Ptyctodontida
Family:	†Ptyctodontidae
Genus:	†Austroptyctodus Long, 1997
Species:	†A. gardineri
Binomial name
†Austroptyctodus gardineri Long, 1997
Synonyms
Ctenurella gardineri

Austroptyctodus gardineri is a small ptyctodontid placoderm fish from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia. First described by Miles & Young (1977) as a new species of the German genus Ctenurella. Long (1997) redescribed the German material and found major differences in the skull roof pattern so assigned it to a new genus, Austroptyctodus. This genus lacks spinal plates and has Ptyctodus-like toothplates.

The most significant discovery about Austroptyctodus is that one specimen depicts a female pregnant with 3 unborn embryos inside her, showing that like Materpiscis, also from Gogo, this genus was a live bearer that reproduced through internal fertilization.

Feeding habits

Austroptyctodus fossil individuals have ostracods recovered in the abdominal region. These ostracods were related to nocturnal ones, suggesting it hunted at night.

References

1. Miles, R.S. & Young, G.C. 1977. Placoderm interrelationships reconsidered in the light of new ptyctodontids from Gogo Western Australia. Linn. Soc. Symp. Series 4: 123-198.
2. Long, J.A. 1997. Ptyctodontid fishes from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation, Western Australia, with a revision of the German genus Ctenurella Orvig 1960. Geodiversitas 19: 515-555.
3. Long, J.A., Trinajstic, K.,Young, G.C. & Senden, T. 2008. Live birth in the Devonian period. Nature 453: 650-653.
4. Trinajstic, Kate; Briggs, Derek E. G.; Long, John A. (2022). "The Gogo Formation Lagerstätte: A view of Australia's first great barrier reef". Journal of the Geological Society. 179. doi:10.1144/jgs2021-105.

v t e "Placodermi"
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Placodermi see below↓ Placodermi
Acanthothoraci* Hagiangella Palaeacanthaspidae* Arabosteus Dobrowlania Kimaspis Kolymaspis Kosoraspis Palaeacanthaspis Radotina Romundina Sudaspis Tlamaspis Weejasperaspididae Murrindalaspis Weejasperaspis Petalichthyida Diandongpetalichthys Neopetalichthys Quasipetalichthyidae Eurycaraspis Pauropetalichthys Quasipetalichthys Macropetalichthyidae Ellopetalichthys Epipetalichthys Lunaspis Macropetalichthys Notopetalichthys Shearsbyaspis Tongdzuylepis Wijdeaspis Ptyctodontida Austroptyctodus Campbellodus Chelyophorus Ctenurella Denisonodus Destnoporella Eczematolepis Goniosteus Kimbryanodus Materpiscis Meeksiella Palaeomylus Ptyctodopsis Ptyctodus Rhamphodopsis Rhynchodus Rhenanida Asterosteus Bolivosteus Gemuendina Jagorina Nefudina Ohioaspis Antiarchi see Antiarchi Arthrodira see Arthrodira Others "maxillate placoderms" Bianchengichthys Entelognathus Qilinyu Silurolepis? Brindabellaspis Holopetalichthys Minjinia Pseudopetalichthys Stensioella Xiushanosteus
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