Name:
Rolfosteus
(Rolf’s bone).
Phonetic: Rolf-o-ste-us.
Named By: Dennis & Miles - 1979.
Classification: Chordata, Gnathostomata,
Placodermi, Arthrodira, Camuropiscidae.
Species: R. canningensis.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: About 15 centimetres long.
Known locations: Australia - Gogo Formation.
Time period: Devonian.
Fossil representation: Almost complete.
Rolfosteus is a genus of arthrodire placoderm fish that lived in Australia during the Devonian. Though small for an arthrodire placoderm, the stand out feature of Rolfosteus is the enlarged snout. The specific purpose of this snout is still unknown, but fish that develop such a feature usually do so as a form of sensor suite, having a heightened ability to detect things such as smells to even electrical impulses from prey that otherwise might be hidden.