The Orthoceras

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The Orthoceras




Orthoceras - Wikipedia


    The Orthoceras were a very abundant nautiloid cephalopod who lived about 400 million years ago. Orthoceras fossils can be found worldwide, but most commonly in Sweden and the Baltic States. The name "Orthoceras" means "Straight Horn", which is referring to the cephalopod's long shell. The shell is all that is preserved of the ancient cephalopod. 


Orthoceras Anatomy


3D model Orthoceras | CGTrader
A pack of Orthoceras


    Orthoceras were a soft body cephalopod who sported a large open-ended shell. The line, or tube along the back of Orthoceras is the siphuncle. The siphuncle acted as a tube that ran to a siphon, which helped propel the Orthoceras through the water. These cephalopods also had an ancient swim bladder called a septa. Septa were round air chambers that helped an Orthoceras to ascend and descend in the water. Some Orthoceras could reach up to 14 feet!



Terradon » Terradon has the largest known pair of Orthoceras fossils
The largest known pair of Orthoceras fossils

    All living relatives of the Orthoceras (Nautiloids, octopi, cuttlefish, nautilus, and squid) are predators, so it is safe to assume that Orthoceras were predators during the Paleozoic era. In the two photos below, you can see the siphuncle running down the fossil from the head to the tail. The septa are the curved chambers that run from one side to the other horizontally. 


Nautiloids: The First Cephalopods | TONMO Community
An Orthoceras' anatomy




Life Before the Dinosaurs: Orthoceras.
Orthoceras fossils with the septas and siphuncles visible





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