Summary

A illustration by Frank Knight reconstruction of a number of Devonian fishes from the Gogo Formation in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This original artwork was published on p. 105, in Rich, P.V., van Tets, G.F. & Knight, F. 1985. Kadimakara. Extinct vertebrates of Australia. Lilydale, Victoria : Pioneer Design Studio P/L, Lilydale, Victoria, pp. 284.

Test accompanying the published illustration:

'A scene in Late Devonian times in part of a reef complexwhich fringed the Kimberley landmass in northwestern Australia about 360-370 million years ago, These animals have been restored from superbly preserved comltes skeletons found in the Gogo Formation near Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia. Most common were various armoured fish, or placoderms (arthrodires and antiarchs) but also present were early representatives of the ray-fin fish, or actinopterygians and dipnoans, or lungfish.

athe arthrodire Harrytoombsia (centre left) is pursuing several ray-fins, callled Moythomasia. Holonema, a more massively built but slower arthrodire cruises (lower left) towards an elegant, long-snouted lungfish, Griphognathus (lower right). A common, but unexpected, element in the marine Gogo fauna is Bothriolepis, an antiarch with strange, armoured pectoral fins, which is commonly found in Devonian rocks of several continents but almost always in continental freshwater deposits. Rolfosteus, an arthrodire with a long, pointed. tubular snout, and Ctenurella (top right) illustrate the diversity achieved by Devonian placoderm fish.'

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