Canadaspis ("Shield of Canada") is an extinct genus of bivalved Cambrian marine arthropod, known from North America and China.

They are thought to have been benthic feeders that moved mainly by walking and possibly used its biramous appendages to stir mud in search of food.

The bivalved carapaces of Canadaspis perfecta are typically 8–52 millimetres (0.31–2.05 in) in length,[1] which taper towards the front end.

[2] Similar antennae are known from Waptia, and are probably homologous to the hemi-ellipsoid bodies of crustaceans, and thus likely have an olfactory function.

[4] The body had over a dozen segments divided into an anterior thorax with legs, covered by the carapace, and a posterior legless exposed abdomen.

The exopods (the outer limb branches) were lobe-shaped, with 9 or 10 rays radiating outwards from their edges.

There are ten pairs of biramous appendages, the first of which appear to be located on the head, which the remaining nine run along the body.

The body ends a telson, which is proportionally longer than that of C. perfecta, which bore one large and one small pair of spines, projecting posteriorly.

Phylogeny of Hymenocarina after Izquierdo-López and Caron (2024)[11]Tuzoia Perspicaris Pectocaris Loricicaris Tokummia Branchiocaris Plenocaris Ercaicunia Clypecaris Pauloterminus Canadaspis Waptia Chuandianella Vermontcaris Odaraia Jugatacaris Fibulacaris Pakucaris Balhuticaris Nereocaris 4525 specimens of Canadaspis perfecta are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, of the Burgess Shale in British Columbia, Canada, where they comprise 8.6% of the community.