CESTKACI0XTID2E. 
307 
Genus ASTERACANTHUS, Agassiz. 
[Poiss. Foss. vol. iii. 1837, p. 31.] 
Syn. Strophodus, L. Agassiz, tom. cit. 1838, p. 116. 
Curtodus, H. E. Sauvage, Catal. Poiss. Form. Second. Boulonnais 
(Mem. Soc. Acad. Boulogne-sur-Mer, vol. ii.), 1867, p. 53. 
Principal teeth elongated, irregularly quadrate, -with slightly 
arched, but flattened, crown ; symphysial teeth few, relatively large, 
much arched, without lateral denticles, longitudinally keeled ; all 
superficially ornamented by reticulate markings. Dorsal lin-spines 
marked by stellate tubercles, sometimes in part fused into short 
longitudinal ribs; two posterior longitudinal series of denticles 
placed mesially. Large hook-shaped, semi-barbed spines present 
upon the head. Notochord persistent. 
The teeth and spines have hitherto only been found associated in 
tbe type species l , and it is thus necessary at present to retain the 
duplicate provisional names for all others. As in the case of 
Hybodus and Acrodus , the superficial ornamentation of the dorsal 
fin-spines is so variable, that no species founded upon these fossils 
alone can be regarded as satisfactorily defined. 
Aster acanthus ornatissimus, Agassiz. 
1753. Snout of some animal of the fish tribe, 11. Baker, Phil. Trans, 
p. 118, pi. vi. 
1837. Asteracanthus ornatissimus , L. Agassiz, Poiss. Foss. vol. iii. p. 31, 
pi. viii. 
1838. Strophodus reticulatus, L. Agassiz, tom. cit. p. 123, pi. xvii. 
1838. Strophodus subretieulatus, L. Agassiz, tom. cit. p. 125, pi. xviii. 
figs. 5-10. 
1846. Strophodus racliatus, G. von Munster, Beitr. Petrefakt. vii. p. 47, 
pi. iii. fig. 14. 
1848. Asteracanthus preussi, W. Dunker, Palaeontogr. vol. i. p. 188, 
pi. xxvi. fig. 3. 
1851. Asteracanthus ornatissimus, W. Dunker, Palaeontogr. vol. i. 
p. 316, pi. xxxvii. figs. 1-7. 
1855. Asteracanthus papillosus, Sir P. Egerton, Eigs. and Descrips. 
Brit. Org. Bemains (Mem. Geol. Surv.), dec. viii. no. 3, p. 3. 
1861. Asteracanthus ornatissimus , A. Wagner, Abb. k. bay. Akad. 
Wiss., math.-phys. Cl. vol. ix. p. 317. 
1864. Strop>hodus subretieulatus, J. Thurmann & A. Etallon, Leth. Brun- 
trutana, (Nouv. Mem. Soc. Helv. Sci. Nat. vol. xx.) p. 432, pi. lxi. 
figs. 10, 29. 
1864. Asteracanthus ornatissimus, R. Damon, Geol. Weymouth, Suppl. 
pi. x. fig. 2. 
1 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. [6] vol. ii. 1888, p. 336, pi. xii. 
x 2 
