''Gonioteuthis'' (meaning ''narrow squid'' or ''slim squid'') is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
belemnite
Belemnitida (or the belemnite) is an extinct order of squid-like cephalopods that existed from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous. Unlike squid, belemnites had an internal skeleton that made up the cone. The parts are, from the arms-most ...
, an extinct group of
cephalopods. It grew to a body length (excluding tentacles) of 8 inches (20 centimeters) and fed on small marine animals. Fossils of ''Gonioteuthis'' have been found in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden in rocks dated to the late
Cretaceous Period
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of t ...
, specifically 85 to 70 million years ago.
[Fossilworks]
"Gonioteuthis (belemnite)"
/ref>
See also
* Belemnite
Belemnitida (or the belemnite) is an extinct order of squid-like cephalopods that existed from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous. Unlike squid, belemnites had an internal skeleton that made up the cone. The parts are, from the arms-most ...
* List of belemnites
This list of belemnite genera is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the extinct subclass Belemnoidea, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, as we ...
References
* Parker, Steve. Dinosaurus: the complete guide to dinosaurs. Firefly Books Inc, 2003. Pg. 49
* Fossilworks. "Gonioteuthis (belemnite)". http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=15866.
Belemnites
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