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Ctenacanthiformes Temporal range: 383–259 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Devonian— Middle Permian (Possible Valanginian record)
Life restoration of Dracopristis
Fin spine of Ctenacanthus formosus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	†Ctenacanthiformes Glikman, 1964
Subtaxa
See text
Synonyms
Ctenacanthida Cappetta (1988)

Ctenacanthiformes is an extinct order of cartilaginous fish. They possessed ornamented fin spines at the front of their dorsal fins and cladodont-type dentition, that is typically of a grasping morphology, though some taxa developed cutting and gouging tooth morphologies. Some ctenacanths are thought to have reached sizes comparable to the great white shark, with body lengths of up to 7 metres (23 ft) and weights of 1,500–2,500 kilograms (3,300–5,500 lb), while others reached lengths of only 30 centimetres (12 in). The earliest ctenacanths appeared during the Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian (~383-372 million years ago), with the group reaching their greatest diversity during the Early Carboniferous (Mississippian), and continued to exist into at least the Middle Permian (Guadalupian). Some authors have suggested members of the family Ctenacanthidae may have survived into the Cretaceous based on teeth found in deep water deposits of Valanginian age in France and Austria, however, other authors contend that the similarity of these teeth to Paleozoic ctenacanths is only superficial, and they likely belong to neoselachians instead.

Taxonomy

Ctenacanthiformes are suggested to be more closely related to living elasmobranchs (modern sharks and rays) than to Holocephali (which includes living chimaeras), though less closely than euselachians like hybodonts. The monophyly of the Ctenacanthiformes has been questioned, with some studies recovering the group as a whole as paraphyletic or polyphyletic with respect to other groups of total group elasmobranchs like Xenacanthiformes.

Following Hodnett et al. 2024

Ctenacanthidae Dean 1909

• Ctenacanthus Agassiz, 1837 (Late Devonian)
• Cladodoides Maisey, 2001 (Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous)
• Cladodus Agassiz, 1843 (Early Carboniferous)
• Goodrichthys Moy-Thomas, 1951 (Early Carboniferous)
• Troglocladodus Hodnett et al. 2024 (Early Carboniferous)

Heslerodidae Maisey 2010

• Avonacanthus Maisey 2010 (Early Carboniferous)
• Bythiacanthus St. John and Worthen 1875 (Early Carboniferous)
• Dracopristis Hodnett et al. 2021 (Late Carboniferous)
• Glencartius Ginter and Skompski 2019 (Early Carboniferous)
• Glikmanius Ginter et al. 2005 (Early Carboniferous-Middle Permian)
• Heslerodus Ginter 2002 (Late Carboniferous-Middle Permian)
• Heslerodoides Ivanov 2022 (Late Carboniferous)
• Kaibabvenator Hodnett et al. 2012 (Early-Middle Permian)
• Nanoskalme Hodnett et al. 2012 (Early-Middle Permian)

"Saivodus group"

• Tamiobatis Eastman, 1897 (Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous)
• Saivodus Duffin & Ginter, 2006 (Early Carboniferous-Middle Permian, one of the largest ctenacanths, estimated to reach 6–8 metres (20–26 ft) in length)
• Neosaivodus Hodnett et al. 2012 (Middle Permian)

References

1. Duffin, Christopher J.; Ginter, Michal (2006). "Comments on the selachian genus Cladodus Agassiz, 1843". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (2): 253–266. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[253:COTSGC]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86094427.
2. Hodnett, John-Paul M.; Elliott, David K.; Olson, Tom J.; Wittke, James H. (August 2012). "Ctenacanthiform sharks from the Permian Kaibab Formation, northern Arizona". Historical Biology. 24 (4): 381–395. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.683193. ISSN 0891-2963.
3. Maisey, John G.; Bronson, Allison W.; Williams, Robert R.; McKinzie, Mark (2017-05-04). "A Pennsylvanian 'supershark' from Texas". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (3): e1325369. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1325369. ISSN 0272-4634.
4. ^ Hodnett, John-Paul M.; Toomey, Rickard; Egli, H. Chase; Ward, Gabe; Wood, John R.; Olson, Rickard; Tolleson, Kelli; Tweet, Justin S.; Santucci, Vincent L. (February 2024). "New ctenacanth sharks (Chondrichthyes; Elasmobranchii; Ctenacanthiformes) from the Middle to Late Mississippian of Kentucky and Alabama". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2292599. ISSN 0272-4634.
5. Guinot, Guillaume; Adnet, Sylvain; Cavin, Lionel; Cappetta, Henri (2013-10-29). "Cretaceous stem chondrichthyans survived the end-Permian mass extinction". Nature Communications. 4 (1): 2669. doi:10.1038/ncomms3669. ISSN 2041-1723. PMID 24169620.
6. Feichtinger, Iris; Engelbrecht, Andrea; Lukeneder, Alexander; Kriwet, Jürgen (2020-07-02). "New chondrichthyans characterised by cladodont-like tooth morphologies from the Early Cretaceous of Austria, with remarks on the microstructural diversity of enameloid". Historical Biology. 32 (6): 823–836. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1539971. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 92392461.
7. Ivanov, A.O. (2022-06-05). "New late Carboniferous chondrichthyans from the European Russia". Bulletin of Geosciences: 219–234. doi:10.3140/bull.geosci.1845. ISSN 1802-8225.
8. Frey, Linda; Coates, Michael; Ginter, Michał; Hairapetian, Vachik; Rücklin, Martin; Jerjen, Iwan; Klug, Christian (2019-10-09). "The early elasmobranch Phoebodus : phylogenetic relationships, ecomorphology and a new time-scale for shark evolution". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286 (1912): 20191336. doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.1336. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 6790773. PMID 31575362.
9. Luccisano, Vincent; Rambert-Natsuaki, Mizuki; Cuny, Gilles; Amiot, Romain; Pouillon, Jean-Marc; Pradel, Alan (2021-12-02). "Phylogenetic implications of the systematic reassessment of Xenacanthiformes and 'Ctenacanthiformes' (Chondrichthyes) neurocrania from the Carboniferous–Permian Autun Basin (France)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (23): 1623–1642. doi:10.1080/14772019.2022.2073279. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 239328598.

v t e Total group Chondrichthyes (including "acanthodians")
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Chondrichthyes see below↓
Chondrichthyes Chondrichthyes †Cassidiceps †Euthacanthus †Latviacanthus †Ramirosuarezia? †Sinacanthidae Hunanacanthus Neosinacanthus Sinacanthus Tarimacanthus †"Ischnacanthiformes" Acanthospina Campylodus Granulacanthus Machaeracanthus? Onchus Serradentus Acritolepidae Acritolepis Monospina Nerepisacanthus Pechoralepis Ischnacanthidae Arcticacanthus Arenaceacanthus Atopacanthus Bracteatacanthus Cacheacanthus Erymnacanthus Euryacanthus Gomphonchus Grenfellacanthus Ischnacanthus Marsdenius? Persacanthus Plectrodus Rockycampacanthus Rohonilepis Taemasacanthus Tricuspicanthus Xylacanthus Podoliacanthidae Drygantacanthus Kasperacanthus Podoliacanthus Poracanthodidae Gomphonchoporus Machaeraporus Obruchevacanthus? Poracanthodes Radioporacanthodes Taimyrolepis Trundlelepis Zemlyacanthus †Diplacanthiformes Bryantonchus Culmacanthus? Devononchus Striacanthus Tetanopsyrus Uraniacanthus Diplacanthidae Diplacanthus Milesacanthus Ptychodictyon Rhadinacanthus †Acanthodiformes Halimacanthodes Howittacanthus Acanthodidae Acanthodes Acanthodopsis Traquairichthys Cheiracanthidae Cheiracanthus Fallodentus Ginkgolepis Homalacanthus Markacanthus Mesacanthidae Lodeacanthus Melanoacanthus Mesacanthus Orcadacanthus Promesacanthus Teneracanthus? Triazeugacanthus "Climatiiformes" and related taxa †Brochoadmones †Dobunnacanthus †Fanjingshania? †Kathemacanthus †Lupopsyroides †Lupopsyrus †Obtusacanthus †Paucicanthus †Ptomacanthus †Qianodus? †Vernicomacanthus †Climatiidae Brachyacanthus Climatius Erriwacanthus Nodocosta? Parexus Sevyacanthus †Gyracanthidae Aganacanthus? Ankylacanthus Gyracanthides Gyracanthus Oracanthus? "Conventionally defined chondrichthyans" see below↓
"Conventionally defined chondrichthyans" "Conventionally defined chondrichthyans" †Carcharopsis †Celtiberina †Gladbachus? †Gogoselachus †Karksiodus †Leonodus †Plesioselachus †Polymerolepis †Protodus †Samarodus †Shenacanthus? †Squatinactis †Antarctilamnidae Antarctilamna Wellerodus? †Mcmurdodontidae Maiseyodus Mcmurdodus †Pucapampellidae Gydoselache Pucapampella †Omalodontiformes Siberiodus Aztecodontidae Aztecodus Manberodus Omalodontidae Doliodus? Omalodus Portalodus †"Ctenacanthiformes" Neosaivodus Saivodus Sculptospina Tamiobatis Ctenacanthidae Arduodens? Cladodoides Cladodus Ctenacanthus Goodrichthys Natarapax? Troglocladodus Heslerodidae Avonacanthus Bythiacanthus Dracopristis Glencartius Glikmanius Heslerodoides Heslerodus Kaibabvenator Nanoskalmae †Jalodontidae Adamantina Isacrodus Jalodus Keuperodus Texasodus †Phoebodontidae Diademodus? Phoebodus Thrinacodus †Symmoriiformes Dwykaselachus Ferromirum Kawichthys Kungurodus? Maiseyacanthus Cladoselachidae? Cladoselache Maghriboselache Falcatidae Cosmoselachus Cretacladoides? Damocles Denaea Falcatus Ozarcus? Stethacanthulus Symmoriidae Akmonistion Cobelodus Crioselache? Stethacanthus Symmorium †Bransonelliformes Barbclabornia Bransonella †Xenacanthiformes Orthacanthus Tikiodontus Diplodoselachidae Decentrodus Diplodoselache Hagenoselache Hokomata Lebachacanthus Taquaralodus Xenacanthidae Mooreodontus Plicatodus Triodus Wurdigneria Xenacanthus Crown-Chondrichthyes Holocephali Elasmobranchii
Incertae sedis scale-based taxa †Altholepidiformes? Altholepis Tezakia †Elegestolepidida? Kannathalepis Elegestolepididae Deltalepis Elegestolepis Ellesmereia †Mongolepidida? Solinalepis Mongolepididae Mongolepis Rongolepis Sodolepis Taklamakanolepis Teslepis Shiqianolepidae Chenolepis Shiqianolepis Tielikewatielepis Xiaohaizilepis Xinjiangichthys †Tchunacanthidae Fecundosquama Lenacanthus Tchunacanthus †Vesperaliidae Acanthacanthus Vesperalia Others †Canyonlepis? †Frigorilepis? †Funicristata †Gualepis †Ivanelepis †Jolepis †Karksilepis †Lunalepis †Nobilesquama †Nostolepis †Nostovicina †Ohiolepis †Seretolepis †Tuvalepis †Wellingtonella? †Yuanolepis
Category

v t e Evolution of fish
Fish Timeline of fish evolution
Forerunners	Basal member †Pikaia Cephalochordate †Cathaymyrus Lancelet Olfactores †Haikouella Tunicate †Myllokunmingiidae? (†Haikouichthys, †Myllokunmingia) †Zhongxiniscus?
Jawless fish	Cyclostomata Hagfish Hyperoartia Lamprey †Conodonts †Protoconodonta? †Paraconodontida †Conodonta †Ostracoderms †Pteraspidomorphi †Thelodonti †Anaspida †Cephalaspidomorphi †Galeaspida †Pituriaspida †Osteostraci
Jawed fish	†Placoderms †Antiarchi †Arthrodira †Brindabellaspida †Petalichthyida †Phyllolepida †Ptyctodontida †Rhenanida †Acanthothoraci †Pseudopetalichthyida? †Stensioellida? †Acanthodii †Acanthodiformes †"Climatiiformes" †Diplacanthiformes †Ischnacanthiformes Cartilaginous Elasmobranchii †Ctenacanthiformes †Hybodontiformes †Phoebodontiformes †Xenacanthida Ray Shark Holocephali †Eugeneodontida †Iniopterygiformes †Petalodontiformes †Symmoriiformes Chimaera Bony Lobe-finned †Onychodontiformes Coelacanth Rhipidistia †Porolepiformes Lungfish Tetrapodomorpha Ray-finned †"Palaeonisciformes" Cladistia Polypteriformes Chondrostei Acipenseriformes Neopterygii †Pycnodontiformes Halecomorphi Ginglymodi Teleost
Lists	Lists of prehistoric fish spiny sharks placoderms cartilaginous bony lobe-finned List of transitional fossils
Related	Prehistoric life Transitional fossils Vertebrate paleontology
† extinct

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