Cabonnichthys burnsi.

Pronunciation: Cab-on-ik-this burns-i
Translation: "Burns' Cabonne fish" - named after Bruce Burns, who instigated the 1993 excavation of the Canowindra site, and Cabonne Shire Council, who provided help during the excavation.
Period: Late Devonian (360 million years ago)

Description: Medium sized carnivorous lobe-finned fish

Class - Osteichthyes ('bony fish')
Subclass - Sarcopterygii ('fleshy-fins')
Superorder - Crossopterygii (lobe-finned fishes)
Order - Osteolepiformes ('bony scaled forms')
Family - Tristichopteridae
Genus - Cabonnichthys
Species - Cabonnichthys burnsi

Length - 70 cms

The second tristichopterid described from the Canowindra site, Cabonnichthys was named by Dr Per Ahlberg and Dr Zerina Johanson in 1997. More than 10 specimens have been found so far. Like its larger 'cousin' Mandageria, Cabonnichthys has a strong jaw with two rows of teeth. The outer row were small, but the inner row were large fangs that produced a strong interlocking bite at the front of the jaw. The tooth arrangement and the shape of the fangs themselves are similar to the dental weaponry of large carnivorous reptiles such as crocodiles. It is possible that like crocodiles, Cabonnichthys was able to handle prey that were quite large relative to its own body size.

Predators of large prey often display aggressive behaviour patterns, and it is possible that Cabonnichthys had a temperament that belied its modest size.