[1] They were one of the first species recognized for what they were, as their fossils are common in the Old Red Sandstone formation studied by geologists in the early 19th century.

Due to their extreme divergence from modern-day fish, they were a puzzle unsolved until Charles Darwin brought forward his theories on evolution.

As with all other antiarchs, Pterichthyodes had heavily armored heads and forebodies, while their scaly tails were unarmored.

The generic name of Pterichthyodes refers directly to their odd wing-like appendages ("pterichthys" being a compound crassis word from Ancient Greek for "wing-fish"), which correspond to and were derived from the pectoral fins seen in modern fish and other non-antiarch placoderms.

[2] Pterichthyodes would have fed by browsing shallower areas of the lake bed for decaying detritus.