Aulacocerida in the context of Sepia (genus)


Aulacocerida in the context of Sepia (genus)

⭐ Core Definition: Aulacocerida

Aulacocerida is an order of primitive coleoid cephalopods, possibly derived from michelinoceraitids (Orthocerida) early in the Devonian, which in turn gave rise to the Belemnites.

Aulococerids are characterized by a straight, slim, conical shell with a large living chamber, simple aperture. The protoconch (initial, embryonic chamber) is egg-shaped and separated from the phragmocone by a constriction. The siphuncle is narrow and ventral, constricted at the septa and expanded in the middle of the chamber; necks are retrochoantiic, project backwards toward the apex. Nacre recovered from aulococerids as well as from belemnites resembles that found in recent Sepia and Spirula but differs from that of recent Nautilus.

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Aulacocerida in the context of Belemnoidea

Belemnoids are an extinct group of marine cephalopod, very similar in many ways to the modern squid. Like them, the belemnoids possessed an ink sac, but, unlike the squid, they possessed ten arms of roughly equal length, and no tentacles. The name "belemnoid" comes from the Greek word βέλεμνον, belemnon meaning "a dart or arrow" and the Greek word είδος, eidos meaning "form".

Belemnoids include belemnites (which belong to the order Belemnitida), aulacocerids (order Aulacocerida), phragmoteuthids (order Phragmoteuthida), and diplobelids (order Diplobelida). Belemnoidea has been suggested to be paraphyletic by some authors.

View the full Wikipedia page for Belemnoidea
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