Arthropodire Study

The next phase in the conceptual evolution of the chimerical beetle/fishes is the Arthropodire, a beetle-styled arthrodire placoderm. My thinking was that the placoderm armor meshes nicely with the cosmetic arthropod styling, and that with the addition of antiarch jointed forelimbs, you end up with a passably convincing phyletic hybrid. (Because the design encompasses elements of two different placoderm orders, I guess it should technically be a Placo-something; but Arthropodire is rather more poetic, don't you think?) This one looks like it could be a lungfish-style amphibian, pushing itself up on its pectoral appendages into a rearing posture to lunge at prey (or snap defensively at predators).

This design is still under development, but I was so freaked out by ~whalewithlegs' anticipation of the next stage in conceptual evolution that I had to post this interim sketch! The fully realized version will probably be more similar to the elephant and rhinoceros beetle -type designs, with the eyes mounted periscopically on extended armatures as per the Coleoptichthys.