Tristychius
Tristychius (from Greek: τρεις treis, 'three' and Greek: στῐ́χος stíkhos 'row')[2] is an extinct genus of shark from the Carboniferous period (Visean). Fossils of T. arcuatus, the type and only species, including fin spines have been found in Scotland.
Tristychius Temporal range: Early Carboniferous, | |
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Restoration of Tristychius | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Order: | †Hybodontiformes |
Family: | †Tristychiidae |
Genus: | †Tristychius Agassiz, 1837[1] |
Type species | |
†Tristychius arcuatus Agassiz, 1837 |
Tristychius was a small shark, about 60 centimetres (2 ft) long. It had a well-developed upturned caudal fin, similar to that of many modern sharks. Physically it may have resembled a modern dogfish. Tristychius also had spikes attached to the bases of its dorsal fins, probably for protection against predators.[3]

Life reconstruction of Tristychius arcuatus
References
- L. Agassiz. 1837. Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles. Tome III (livr. 8-9). Imprimérie de Petitpierre, Neuchatel viii-72 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
- Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 174. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-84028-152-1.
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