Placodermi - Arthrodira - Arctolepidae
Parent taxon: Arthrodira according to D. L. Dineley and S. J. Metcalfe 1999
Sister taxa: Acanthaspida, Actinolepina, Africanaspis, Antarctolepis, Arctonema, Arenipiscis, Aspidichthys, Atlantidosteus, Brachydeirina, Brachythoraci, Bruntonichthys, Bullerichthys, Bungartiidae, Burrinijucosteus, Callognathus, Camuropiscidae, Coccosteina, Copanognathus, Cosmacanthus, Cravenaspis, Diplognathus, Erikaspis, Errolosteus, Eskimaspis, Euarthrodira, Eubrachythoraci, Glyptaspis, Goodradigbeeon, Grazosteus, Groenlandaspididae, Harrytoombsia, Heintzosteus, Heterostiina, Hollardosteus, Holonematina, Incisoscutoidea, Kendrickichthys, Kimberleyichthys, Kueichowlepis, Latocamurus, Laurentaspis, Lurapullaspis, Machaerognathus, Mcnamaraspis, Murmur, Mylostomatidae, Operchallosteus, Overtonaspis, Pachyosteidae, Pachyosteina, Parawilliamsaspis, Phlyctaenina, Phylctaeniida, Platyaspis, Prescottaspis, Qataraspis, Rhachiosteidae, Rolfosteus, Selenosteidae, Squamatognathus, Stegophthalami, Taemasosteus, Taunaspis, Temnothoraci, Timanosteus, Titanichthyidae, Toombalepis, Toombsosteus, Torosteus, Trachosteus, Tubonasus, Wheathillaspis, Wuttagoonaspina, Yinosteus, Phyllolepidoidei, Actinolepidoidei, Phlyctaenioidei, Brachythoracoidei
Subtaxa: Plataspis
Ecology: nektonic carnivore
Distribution: found only at Besom Farm Quarry, Shropshire - 'upper Cornstone' (Devonian of the United Kingdom)