Dipteridae, Dipterus valenciennes
GRI #605

Dipterus was a lungfish that lived in shallow waters, probably both marine and freshwater. It grew to about 35 cm in length. It had two dorsal fins, and an asymmetrical caudal (tail) fin. Its scales were covered with cosmine (Mondéjar-Fernández, 2018). It had strong toothplates, suitable for crushing small invertebrates (Dipnoans, 2022). Its head was protected by a tough, bony covering. It has been found in Devonian sediments in northern Scotland, where it is quite common, and also in Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Iran, and Colorado, USA (Paleobiology Database, n.d.). This specimen is from Caithness, Scotland.

References:

Dipnoans (2022) Landscapes of Orkney. Available at: https://orkneylandscapes.org/orkney/dipnoans/ (Accessed: August 2024).

Mondéjar-Fernández, J. (2018) On cosmine: its origins, biology and implications for sacroptyerygian interrelationships. Cybium, 42(1), pp. 41-65.

Paleobiology Database (no date) Dipterus, The Paleobiology Database. Available at: https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=34888 (Accessed: August 2024).