Bruntonichthys is an extinct monospecific genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Gogo Formation of the Kimberley region of Australia. The skull is about 139 millimetres long, and had disproportionally large eye sockets. Researchers suggest it may have preyed on small mollusks.[1]
Bruntonichthys is a basal member of the clade Aspinothoracidi, which belongs to the clade Pachyosteomorphi, one of the two major clades within Eubrachythoraci. The cladogram below shows the phylogeny of Bruntonichthys:[2]
Coccosteomorphi
Rhachiosteus pterygiatus
Eastmanosteus calliaspis
Eastmanosteus pustulosus
Kiangyousteus yohii
Golshanichthys asiatica
Westralichthys uwagedensis
Dunkleosteus raveri
Dunkleosteus terrelli
Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus
Heterosteus ingens
Yinosteus major
Tapinosteus heintzi
Bullerichthys fascidens
Kendrickichthys cavernosus
Bruntonichthys multidens
Dinichthys herzeri
Hadrosteus rapax
Gorgonichthys clarki
Heintzichthys gouldii
Pachyosteus bulla
Gymnotrachelus hydei
Stenosteus angustopectus
Brachyosteus dietrichi
Melanosteus occitanus
Rhinosteus parvulus
This article about a placoderm is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.