13.7" 3D, Devonian Armored Fish (Rhinopteraspis) - Germany

This is a very rare and special specimen out of an old collection, it is a 3D, Devonian armored fish (Rhinopteraspis junensis) from Germany. While I've heard of a few similar pieces in museum collections I'm not aware of anything similar to this specimen coming onto the commercial market.

A small number of these fish were collected from a glacial erratic boulder in a farmers field near Odenspiel, Germany decades ago. While Devonian armored fish are known from other localities you rarely get fully 3D preservation like this this specimen. The specimen has been beautifully prepared from the hard limestone with much of it is completely free of the rock.

Rhinopteraspis was a jawless, armored fish, many species possessing a long snout. It has two large bony plates protecting both body. Earlier species tended to have shorter snouts, which lengthened as they evolved. Given the lack of jaws it likely would have been a filter feeder.