Pleuroctenium

• P. granulatum granulatum has been collected from the early Middle Cambrian of Canada (Paradoxides hicksi-zone Manuels River Formation, South-East Newfoundland), the Czech Republic (higher levels of the Skryje Shales, Jince Formation, Skryje-Týřovice area) and the United Kingdom (P. aurora-zone to upper part of the P. hicksi-zone, Abbey Shale Formation, Nuneaton).[1]

Like all Agnostida, Pleuroctenium is diminutive, with the headshield (or cephalon) and tailshield (or pygidium) of approximately the same size (or isopygous) and outline, and only two thorax segments. The characteristic sidewise expansion of the frontal lobe of the glabella, occipital structures instead of basal lobes, and a rhachis with three pairs of side lobes and a rear lobe differentiate Condylopygidae from all other agnostids. Pleuroctenium can easily be distinguished from its sister taxon Condylopyge because the frontal glabellar lobe on both sides wraps around the rear lobe, giving it a crescent-like appearance. The frontal glabellar lobe is also generally weakly dissected lengthwise, unlike in Condylopyge. The glabella may carry spines.[2] The pygidium may carry a pair of stout, backwardly directed spines and in some exquisitely preserved specimen, the lateral side of the pygidium and the large spines carried up to 30 minute laterally directed secundairy spines.[1]