Strunius

Strunius; Temporal range: Late Devonian
	Restoration of S. rolandi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Order:	†Onychodontiformes
Family:	†Onychodontidae (?)
Genus:	†Strunius; Jessen, 1966
Type species
	†Strunius rolandi; Jessen, 1966

Strunius is an extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period of Germany.

Restoration of a pair

Although it was a lobe-finned fish, Strunius' fins were supported by fin rays, which are more associated with ray-finned fish. However, its skull was composed of two articulating halves, a feature characteristic of the lobe-finned rhipidistians. The skull was also divided by a deep articulation, with both halves probably connected by a large muscle, increasing the power of the bite.[1] The same system is seen in coelacanths and the better-known Eusthenopteron.

Compared to other lobe-finned fishes, Strunius had a rather short, stubby body, and was just 10 centimetres (4 in) long. It was covered in large, round, bony scales, and probably fed on other fishes.[1]

References

Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 42. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.

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[EoDP-1] Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 42. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.