Tremataspis
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| Tremataspis Fossil range: Late Silurian |
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Tremataspis is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish from the Silurian period.
An osteostracid, it had an armored shield covering its head. In Tremataspis, the shield was unusually elongated, covering the whole front of the body, and round in diameter. Most osteostracids had flattened shields. It is thought that Tremataspis used its rounder shield to burrow in the ocean floor, searching for food. Because the shield consisted of one solid piece, it probably did not grow during the animal's life. Paleontologists presume Tremataspis larvae lacked the shield, which would appear later in life.
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