Tapinosteus is an extinct monospecific genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Late Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period.

Fossils are found from Bad Wildungen, Germany.

[1] Tapinosteus is a basal member of the clade Aspinothoracidi, which belongs to the clade Pachyosteomorphi, one of the two major clades within Eubrachythoraci.

The cladogram below shows the phylogeny of Tapinosteus:[1] Coccosteomorphi Rhachiosteus pterygiatus Eastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterosteus ingens Yinosteus major Tapinosteus heintzi Bullerichthys fascidens Kendrickichthys cavernosus Bruntonichthys multidens Dinichthys herzeri Hadrosteus rapax Gorgonichthys clarki Heintzichthys gouldii Pachyosteus bulla Gymnotrachelus hydei Stenosteus angustopectus Brachyosteus dietrichi Melanosteus occitanus Rhinosteus parvulus

This article about a placoderm is a stub.