Jurassic fish choking on floating belemnites

Ebert, Martin; Kölbl-Ebert, Martina (2025): Jurassic fish choking on floating belemnites. Scientific Reports, 15: 16095. ISSN 2045-2322

Abstract

Tharsis , an extinct genus of ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) in the Late Jurassic, has but tiny teeth and is considered a micro-carnivore/visual zooplanktivore. A recent review of collection material, however, uncovered several specimens of Tharsis from the Late Jurassic (ca. 152 Ma) Plattenkalk deposits of the Solnhofen Archipelago with belemnites wedged in mouth and gill apparatus. In all cases, the rostrum reexits through the gill apparatus, whereas the broad phragmocone of the belemnite is firmly lodged in the mouth opening. Apparently, these micro-carnivore fish were in the habit of sucking remnants of decaying soft tissue or overgrowth such as algae or bacterial growth from floating objects, but when a streamlined floating belemnite rostrum accidentally was sucked into the mouth, they were no longer able to get rid of these deadly objects.

• Doc-Type: Article (LMU)
• Organisational unit (Faculties): 20 Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• DFG subject classification of scientific disciplines: Natural sciences
• DFG: Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - 491502892