Strunius

Strunius is an extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period of Germany and Latvia.^[1]

Restoration of a pair

Strunius Temporal range: Late Devonian
Restoration of S. rolandi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	†Onychodontiformes
Family:	†Onychodontidae (?)
Genus:	†Strunius Jessen, 1966
Type species
†Strunius rolandi Jessen, 1966

Although it was a lobe-finned fish, Strunius' fins were supported by fin rays, which are more associated with ray-finned fish. However, its skull was composed of two articulating halves, a feature characteristic of the lobe-finned rhipidistians. The skull was also divided by a deep articulation, with both halves probably connected by a large muscle, increasing the power of the bite.^[2] The same system is seen in coelacanths and the better-known Eusthenopteron.

Compared to other lobe-finned fishes, Strunius had a rather short, stubby body, and was just 10 centimetres (4 in) long. It was covered in large, round, bony scales, and probably fed on other fishes.^[2]