Stethacanthus

Stethacanthus is an extinct genus of cartilaginous fish from the Late Devonian and Carboniferous. Its best-known species bore a brush-like dorsal fin with a flattened, bristle-covered crest.

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Cartilaginous fish: A fish whose internal skeleton is made primarily of cartilage rather than bone. Stethacanthus belongs to this vertebrate group, whose skeletons fossilize differently from bony fish.
Stethacanthus altonensis: A species of Stethacanthus known from Late Devonian and Carboniferous deposits in North America. Its fossils anchor much of the familiar image of the genus's unusual dorsal crest.
Stethacanthus brush: A flattened, brush-like dorsal crest formed from dermal denticles in some Stethacanthus specimens. This structure gives the genus its most distinctive anatomical feature.
Late Devonian: The final epoch of the Devonian Period, spanning about 383 to 359 million years ago. Stethacanthus fossils extend back into this interval of major fish diversification.
Dorsal fin: A fin on the back of a fish that helps stabilize the body while swimming. The genus is especially recognized by the unusual form of its dorsal fin.
Stethacanthus productus: A named species of Stethacanthus described from Carboniferous fossil material. It represents another species assigned to the genus beyond the commonly illustrated S. altonensis.
Dermal denticle: A small tooth-like scale embedded in the skin of sharks and other cartilaginous fishes. Denticles covered the brush-like crest and help explain its textured appearance.
Carboniferous: A geological period from about 359 to 299 million years ago, marked by extensive coal-forming forests. The genus also lived during this period, when its fossils occur in several deposits.
Cartilage: A flexible connective tissue that provides structural support in many vertebrate bodies. Its skeleton was cartilaginous, although mineralized parts preserve some anatomical detail.
Mazon Creek fossil beds: A Carboniferous fossil locality in Illinois known for exceptionally preserved organisms in ironstone concretions. Mazon Creek has yielded notable Stethacanthus material that helps document its anatomy.