Stethacanthus
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Extinct (fossil)
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| Stethacanthus | |
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| Translation | breast spike |
| Type | shark |
| Length | 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) |
| Age | 370-300 million years ago |
| Diet | carnivore |
| Environment | ocean |
| Distribution | Scotland and USA |
Stethacanthus is an extinct genus of shark which lived in the Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous epochs, around 360 million years ago. The creature was amost one meter long. It probably hunted smaller creatures such as small fish.
Stethacanthus is best known for its unusually shaped dorsal fin, which resembles an anvil or ironing board. Small spikes (enlarged versions of the dermal denticles commonly covering shark skin) covered this crest, and the shark's head as well. Some scientists think the crest may have had a function in courtship; others think it may have been used for self defence.
[edit] In popular culture
- In the 2003 TV documentary Sea Monsters, a spin-off from the 1999 series Walking With Dinosaurs, a Stethacanthus was briefly shown circling a large shark cage before being scared away by a much larger Dunkleosteus. It reappeared in the 2005 prequel series Walking With Monsters, attacking a Hynerpeton, only to be eaten by a Hyneria.
- Stethacanthus was featured in Paleoworld, Episode 5 as the first hunting shark, yet prey for predators like the Rizodont
