Debeeriidae
| Debeeriidae Temporal range: Mississippian | |
|---|---|
| Life reconstruction of Debeerius, the type genus | |
| Life reconstruction of Heteropetalus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Holocephali |
| Order: | †Debeeriiformes Grogan & Lund, 2000 |
| Family: | †Debeeriidae Grogan & Lund, 2000 |
| Type genus | |
| Debeerius Grogan & Lund, 2000 | |
| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Debeeriidae is a family of holocephalan fishes from the Mississippian subperiod of the Carboniferous. It is the only family of the order Debeeriiformes. It is named after the type genus, Debeerius, which itself is named in honor of Gavin de Beer. Members of this family and order possess a spine on the first dorsal fin, an opercular cover over the gills, and an autodiastylic (two-jointed) jaw suspension. Both genera in the family are known from exceptionally well-preserved specimens found in the Bear Gulch Limestone member of the Heath Formation.