any of a class (Acanthodii) of small extinct fishes, the earliest known jawed vertebrates, possessing features found in both sharks and bony fishes. Acanthodians appeared first in the Silurian Period and lasted into the Early Permian (from about 438 to 258 million years ago).

Among the genera of spiny sharks most useful for fossil dating is Acanthodes, of the order Acanthodiformes, which attained worldwide distribution. Species of Acanthodes grew to be about 30 centimetres (about 12 inches) long and in many respects represent a specialized form, losing many of the traits characteristic of the acanthodians. The spiny shark's head was small compared with its elongated body, and its eyes were very large. The snout region was very short, and it is evident that these fishes relied to a large extent upon sight rather than smell.