Phantaspis auritus

Order Ptychopariida / Suborder Ptychopariina / Superfamily Ptychoparioidea / Family uncertain

phantasia (Ancient Greek, fantasy) + aspis (Ancient Greek, shield), meaning a fantastical shield trilobite. It also

aurītus, Latin, eared, referring to the long ear-shaped outline of the anterior part of the cranidium.

Dorsal shield elongate-elliptical, smooth. Anterior border of the cranidium extends forward with a large V-shaped notch in the middle, forming an ear-like shape; border narrow; glabella long-trapezoidal, slightly constricted medially, with four pairs of pit-like glabellar furrows disconnected medially; occipital furrow narrow and shallow, occipital ring of nearly uniform width; eye ridges high and strong; fixigenae wide in the palpebral area; librigenae largely trapezoidal with straight lateral margins and short sharp genal spines. Thorax of 13 segments; pleural furrows wide and deep; pleural spines rather long; axis with node-like swellings. Pygidium semicircular, rather small; axis relatively wide, inverted-conical, with node-like swellings; border relatively wide.

Phantaspis auritus was first discovered by Liangliang Fengqing, a trilobite enthusiast from Shandong, who donated many specimens including the holotype. It is commonly known as the "rabbit-head trilobite".