Asaphus kowalewskii is one of the 35 species of trilobite of the genus Asaphus, which is known for its prominent stalked eyes, or peduncles. The development of these eyestalks suggests these species adapted to increased turbidity by laying in loose debris with only their eyestalks exposed to look out for predators or prey. Over a dozen species of Asaphus developed in an inland sea that formed in Eastern Europe during the Ordovician period.