| Henodus | |
|---|---|
 'An artist's representation of Henodus.' | |
|
Distribution |
Southern Germany |
|
Classification |
Sauropterygia, Placodontia, Cyamodontidae |
|
Meaning of name |
Armoured |
|
Named by |
Huene, 1936 |
|
Time |
Carnian stage of the late Triassic |
|
Size |
1 metre (3 ft) |
|
Lifestyle |
Seafloor-forager |
|
Species |
H. chelyops |
Henodus was a cyamodontid from what is now. It during the late Triassic, being one of the last placodontoids.
Speculations[]
We can imagine Henodus like some kind of reptilian ray, paddling it broad flat body across the bed of a shallow lagoon, foraging in the rippled sand with its broad mouth. Its plate-like body would have made it better adapted to searching along flat sea beds than to the shellfish-encrusted reefs frequented by its relatives. Its weak limbs suggest that it did not spend much time on land.
Features[]
Carapace[]
There is a carapace over the whole of the body that stretches out well beyond the span of its limbs, and as in the other cyamodonts this is matched by a plastron, a lower shell, which covers the undersurface. Both carapace and plastron are made up of a geometric array of individual plates. The head is squared off at the front and is shortened in front of the eyes.