Aspinothoracidi is a clade of placoderms, extinct armored fish most diverse during the Devonian. The gigantic apex predator Dinichthys, is the best-known member of this group. Many other genera, such as the infamous Dunkleosteus, were previously thought to be close relatives of Dinichthys and were grouped together in the family Dinichthyidae, though more recent studies have restricted that family to only its type species.

Phylogeny

Eubrachythoraci is divided into the clades Coccosteomorphi and Pachyosteomorphi, the latter of which can be further sub-divided into Aspinothoracidi and Dunkleosteoidea, as shown in the cladogram below:

EubrachythoraciCoccosteomorphi Coccosteoidea Coccosteidae Millerosteus minor Coccosteus cuspidatus Dickosteus threiplandi Watsonosteus fletti Protitanichthys rockportensis Panxiosteidae Plourdosteus canadensis Panxiosteus ocullus Janiosteus timanicus Incisoscutoidea Harrytoombsia elegans Torosteus tuberculatus Torosteus pulchellus Mcnamaraspis kaprios Compagopiscis croucheri Trematosteus fontanellus Camuropiscidae Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi Pachyosteomorphi Rhachiosteus pterygiatus Dunkleosteoidea Eastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major Aspinothoracidi Tapinosteus heintzi Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
CoccosteomorphiCoccosteoidea Coccosteidae Millerosteus minor Coccosteus cuspidatus Dickosteus threiplandi Watsonosteus fletti Protitanichthys rockportensis Panxiosteidae Plourdosteus canadensis Panxiosteus ocullus Janiosteus timanicus Incisoscutoidea Harrytoombsia elegans Torosteus tuberculatus Torosteus pulchellus Mcnamaraspis kaprios Compagopiscis croucheri Trematosteus fontanellus Camuropiscidae Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
CoccosteoideaCoccosteidae Millerosteus minor Coccosteus cuspidatus Dickosteus threiplandi Watsonosteus fletti Protitanichthys rockportensis Panxiosteidae Plourdosteus canadensis Panxiosteus ocullus Janiosteus timanicus
CoccosteidaeMillerosteus minor Coccosteus cuspidatus Dickosteus threiplandi Watsonosteus fletti Protitanichthys rockportensis
Millerosteus minor Coccosteus cuspidatus
Millerosteus minor
Coccosteus cuspidatus
Dickosteus threiplandi Watsonosteus fletti Protitanichthys rockportensis
Dickosteus threiplandi
Watsonosteus fletti
Protitanichthys rockportensis
PanxiosteidaePlourdosteus canadensis Panxiosteus ocullus Janiosteus timanicus
Plourdosteus canadensis
Panxiosteus ocullus
Janiosteus timanicus
IncisoscutoideaHarrytoombsia elegans Torosteus tuberculatus Torosteus pulchellus Mcnamaraspis kaprios Compagopiscis croucheri Trematosteus fontanellus Camuropiscidae Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Harrytoombsia elegans
Torosteus tuberculatus Torosteus pulchellus
Torosteus tuberculatus
Torosteus pulchellus
Mcnamaraspis kaprios Compagopiscis croucheri Trematosteus fontanellus Camuropiscidae Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Mcnamaraspis kaprios
Compagopiscis croucheri Trematosteus fontanellus Camuropiscidae Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Compagopiscis croucheri
Trematosteus fontanellus
CamuropiscidaeIncisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Incisoscutum ritchiei Incisoscutum sarahae
Incisoscutum ritchiei
Incisoscutum sarahae
Rolfosteus canningensis Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Rolfosteus canningensis
Tubonasus lennardensis Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Tubonasus lennardensis
Fallacosteus turneri Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Fallacosteus turneri
Camuropiscis laidlawi Latocamurus coulthardi
Camuropiscis laidlawi
Latocamurus coulthardi
PachyosteomorphiRhachiosteus pterygiatus Dunkleosteoidea Eastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major Aspinothoracidi Tapinosteus heintzi Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Rhachiosteus pterygiatus
Dunkleosteoidea Eastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major Aspinothoracidi Tapinosteus heintzi Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
DunkleosteoideaEastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Eastmanosteus calliaspis
Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii
Eastmanosteus pustulosus
Kiangyousteus yohii
Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Golshanichthys asiatica
Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Westralichthys uwagedensis
Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli
Dunkleosteus raveri
Dunkleosteus terrelli
Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus
HeterostiidaeHeterosteus ingens Yinosteus major
Heterosteus ingens
Yinosteus major
AspinothoracidiTapinosteus heintzi Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Tapinosteus heintzi
Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens
Bullerichthys fascidens
Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens
Kendrickichthys cavernosus
Bruntonichthys multidens
Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Dinichthys herzeri
Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Hadrosteus rapax
Gorgonichthys clarki Selenosteidae Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Gorgonichthys clarki
SelenosteidaeHeintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Heintzichthys gouldii
Pachyosteus bulla
Gymnotrachelus hydei
Stenosteus angustopectus
Brachyosteus dietrichi
Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus
Melanosteus occitanus
Rhinosteus parvulus