Ostracoderms ("shell-skinned") refers to the armored jawless fishes of the Paleozoic. The term does not often appear in classifications today because it is paraphyletic or polyphyletic, and has no phylogenetic meaning. However, the term is still used as an informal way of loosely grouping together the armored jawless fishes.

Ostracoderms ("shell-skinned") refers to the armored jawless fishes of the Paleozoic. The term does not often appear in classifications today because it is paraphyletic or polyphyletic, and has no phylogenetic meaning. However, the term is still used as an informal way of loosely grouping together the armored jawless fishes.