Belosaepia, occasionally incorrectly Belosepia,[2] is an extinct genus of cuttlefish-like cephalopod known from the Eocene.[1]
| Belosaepia Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Belosepia sepioidea | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Sepiida |
| Family: | †Belosaepiidae |
| Genus: | †Belosaepia |
| Species | |
Morphology
editSpecies of the genus Belosaepia reached 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length and 5 centimetres (2.0 in) across and had a large siphuncle that penetrated its oblique septa.[1] The shell was endogastrically coiled.[1] It had a small belemnite-like guard, which took the form of a short horn at the posterior end of the shell;[1] usually, only a small portion of the shell closest to the guard is preserved. The chambers in the shell closely resemble those present in the cuttlebone of modern cuttlefish.[1]
Ecology
editBelosaepia lived close to the sea floor.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Yancey, T. E.; Garvie, C. L.; Wicksten, M. (2010). "The Middle Eocene Belosaepia ungula (Cephalopoda: Coleoida) from Texas: Structure, Ontogeny and Function" (PDF). Journal of Paleontology. 84 (2): 267–287. doi:10.1666/09-018R.1.
- ^ e.g. "Functional Morphology of the Eocene Coleoid Belosepia".