Edaphodon facts for kids

Edaphodon was a fascinating ancient fish that lived a long, long time ago. It was a type of chimaera, also known as a rabbitfish. These fish are related to sharks and rays, but they have a unique look. Edaphodon was a cartilaginous fish, meaning its skeleton was made of tough, flexible cartilage instead of bone.

This genus had less than 15 known species, and all of them are now extinct. Edaphodon first appeared during the Cretaceous period and disappeared in the Pliocene epoch. It was most common during the Late Cretaceous. Most Edaphodon species lived in the Northern Hemisphere. However, one species, E. kawai, was found near New Zealand. This discovery showed that Edaphodon lived in more places than scientists first thought!

Meet Edaphodon: An Ancient Rabbitfish

Like many ancient chimaeras, we mostly know Edaphodon from small pieces. This is because its skeleton was made of cartilage. Cartilage does not preserve as well as bone in fossils. So, scientists usually find only its tooth plates and fin spines.

Edaphodon looked similar to other rabbitfish. It used six tooth plates to eat. These included one pair on its lower jaw and two pairs on its upper jaw. It likely laid eggs in a leathery pouch, much like modern rabbitfish do. However, no fossil evidence of these eggs has been found yet.

Edaphodon had a sloping head and a mouth on its underside. This shape allowed it to graze along the ocean floor. It fed on small benthic animals, which are creatures that live on the seabed. Its closest relative was a fish called Ischyodus. Some scientists even think that the remains known as E. kawai might actually belong to Ischyodus.

Discovering Edaphodon Species

Scientists have identified many species of Edaphodon. All of these species are now extinct. Here are a few examples:

• Edaphodon agassizi - named by William Buckland in 1835
• Edaphodon bucklandi - named by Louis Agassiz in 1843
• Edaphodon kawai - named by Christopher Consoli in 2006
• Edaphodon mirificus - named by Joseph Leidy in 1856