Belantsea

Belantsea is an extinct genus of cartilaginous fish that lived during the Lower Carboniferous, about 350 million years ago. It belongs to the order Petalodontiformes, which are called petalodonts, in the family Belantseidae. Its fossils are almost complete individuals.

Belantsea is the best known member of the order Petalodontiformes.

 Description 
Belantsea would essentially have been the Carboniferous equivalent of a parrotfish. Its body was leaf-shaped, with muscular fins and a small tail. Its few, large, triangular teeth formed a beak-like arrangement that allowed it to graze bryozoans, sponges, crinoids, and other encrusting animals.

 Species 
The species in this genus are:

 Belantsea montana (type species) Lund, 1989
 Belantsea occidentalis St. John and Worthen, 1875

 Synonyms 
 Ctenopetalus occidentalis St. John and Worthen, 1875

 Classification 

 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Chondrichthyes
 Order: Petalodontiformes
 Family: Belantseidae
 Genus: Belantsea

 Diet and size 

 Diet 
Belantsea is a carnivore. 

 Size 
It's up to 70 centimeters long.

 Locations 
You can find Belantsea fossils in the USA, including Kansas - Zeandale Limestone Formation, Montana - Heath Formation, and Nebraska.

 Temporal range 
Baskirian to Gzhelian of the Carboniferous.

 Speed 
Because of its rather ungraceful body and veil-like fins, experts believe that Belantsea was probably a slow swimmer.

 Related pages 
 Leedsichthys
 Amakusaichthys

 References 

 Lund, Richard (1989). "New petalodonts (Chondrichthyes) from the Upper Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone (Namurian E2b) of Montana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 9 (3): 350–368.

 Other websites 
 Bear Gulch
 Belantsea from Discovery Education

Category:Extinct fish
Category:Cartilaginous fish