Crassigyrinus is taxonomically enigmatic, having confused paleontologists for decades with its apparent fish-like and tetrapod features.<ref name=Clack>Chapter on Crassigyrinus from Gaining ground: the origin and evolution of tetrapods,  by Jennifer A. Clack, Indiana University Press 2002, from Google Books</ref>
kɹˈæsɪdʒˌɪɹɪnəs ɪz tˌæksənˈɑːmɪkli ˌɛnɪɡmˈæɾɪk, hˌævɪŋ kənfjˈuːzd pˌeɪliːoʊntˈɑːlədʒˌɪsts fɔːɹ dˈɛkeɪdz wɪð ɪts ɐpˈæɹənt fˈɪʃlˈaɪk ænd tˈɛtɹɐpˌɑːd fˈiːtʃɚz.ɹˈɛf nˈeɪm ˈiːkwəlz klˈæk tʃˈæptɚɹ ˌɔn kɹˈæsɪdʒˌɪɹɪnəs fɹʌm ɡˈeɪnɪŋ ɡɹˈaʊnd: ðɪ ˈɔːɹɪdʒˌɪn ænd ˌɛvəlˈuːʃən ʌv tˈɛtɹɐpˌɑːdz,  baɪ dʒˈɛnɪfɚɹ ˈeɪ. klˈæk, ˌɪndiːˈænə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi pɹˈɛs tˈuː θˈaʊzənd tˈuː, fɹʌm ɡˈuːɡəl bˈʊks slˈæʃ ɹˈɛf