Devonian Fish Fossils from the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Fragmentary remains of Late Devonian (likely Famennian) fishes from the Knobby Sandstone formation in the eastern Canning Basin. The fauna includes a new species of Bothriolepis, other antiarch placoderms, and rhipidistian teeth and scales, preserved as moulds in coarse sandstone. The data is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated on 2026-04-16.

Use Cases

• Taxonomic classification of Devonian fish based on described species and fragments.
• Analysis of depositional environments based on fragmentary preservation suggesting high-energy conditions.
• Correlation of vertebrate assemblages with other Late Devonian sites based on described fauna.
• Study of non-marine clastic formations as petroleum reservoirs based on the geological context.

Strengths

• Includes a described new species of the antiarch Bothriolepis.
• Associated plant remains, including Leptophloeum australe, are documented.
• Provides specific geological context (Knobby Sandstone, eastern Canning Basin).

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data freshness should be verified despite the 2026 update date.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Described from fossil specimens collected from the Knobby Sandstone formation.

Time Range

Late Devonian (likely Famennian)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 16:31:50.482822

Geography

Billiluna, eastern Canning Basin, Western Australia