- Tusoteuthis
Taxobox | name = "Tusoteuthis"
fossil_range =Cretaceous
image_width = 270px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Mollusc a
classis =Cephalopod a
subclassis =Coleoidea
ordo =Vampyromorphida
subordo =Mesoteuthina
familia =Kelaenidae
genus = "Tusoteuthis"
genus_authority = Logan, 1898
species = "T. longa"
binomial = "Tusoteuthis longa"
binomial_authority = Logan, 1898"Tusoteuthis" is a genus of
Cretaceous cephalopod mollusc s. One species, "T. longa", has been identified so far, and examination of gladius remains has yielded an estimated mantle length close to or equal to that of the moderngiant squid . Recent studies have seen thevampire squid as a more likely descendant than modern day giant squid.Despite "Tusoteuthis"' size, which was around 20 to 35 feet (6 to 11 meters) long with tentacles fully outstretched, it was still preyed on by other animals, especially the many, various predatory fish of theWestern Interior Seaway . A fossil of the predatory salmonid, "Cimolichthys nepaholica", was found with the gladius of "T. longa" in its gullet. The back portion of the gladius was in the stomach region, while the mouth of "C. nepaholica" had remained opened, suggesting that the fish had died in the middle of swallowing the squid, tail first. Researchers strongly suspect that as the fish was swallowing "Tusoteuthis", the head and or tentacles remained outside the mouth, thus blocking the gills of the fish, and suffocating it as it swallowed its prey. [Kauffman, E. G. 1990. Cretaceous fish predation on a large squid. pp. 195-196. In: Boucot, A. J. "Evolutionary Paleobiology and Coevolution". Elsevier, Amsterdam.]ee also
*
Cephalopod size References
*Michael Everhart. (2007) Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep.
National Geographic .External links
* [http://www.tonmo.com/science/fossils/cretaceousGS.php Cretaceous Giant Squid at TONMO.com]
* [http://www.oceansofkansas.com/FossilFish/Cimolichthys/squidcim.jpg] Image of "Cimolichthys " fossil with swallowed "T. longa" gladius
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
