Cameroceras

Cameroceras(Giant Orthocone)
Classification
Name	Cameroceras trentonense
Name Meaning	Chambered Horn
Species	Prehistoric Cephalopod
Family	Endoceratidae
Diet	Carnivore
Physiology
Description	Distant ancestor of modern squid
Attributes	Long tentacles; primitive, weak eyes; long, large cone-like shell; sharp beak within tentacles
Length	11.2 m (36.74 ft)
Weight	1 t (2,204 lb)
Biography
Era	Late Ordovician to Late Silurian
Time	470 to 408 MYA
Discovered	1842
Locations	North America, Asia

“	There it is. It's Cameroceras, an Orthocone - a distant relative of squid and cuttlefish, but it's as long as a truck. That is the biggest predator that the world has seen up until this time.	„
	— Allen, about Cameroceras in Eye of the Beast

Cameroceras (name meaning "Chambered Horn") also called the Giant Orthocone, is a genus of giant orthoconic cephalopod that originated during the Late Ordovician Era in what is now North America and Asia. Measuring well over 9 meters long and weighing around a ton, not only was this the largest and apex predator of its day as well as the largest known giant orthocone, but was also the largest creature to have ever existed on Earth before its extinction. An ancestor of modern-day squid, this prehistoric cephalopod had a keen sense of smell, poor eyesight, and fed on trilobites and sea scorpions.

In the Series 1 episode, Eye of the Beast, a group of four Cameroceras were brought to the park from Late Ordovician North America, 450 million years ago. They reside in the Primeval Aquarium Enclosure.

Facts

Era & Discovery

Cameroceras lived in North America and Asia during the Late Ordovician to Late Silurian from 470 to 408 million years ago. They shared the ocean with other animals such as sea scorpions like Megalograptus and Pterygotus, and primitive fish.

Physical Attributes

Cameroceras was 11.2 meters long and weighed a ton, making them one of the largest cephalopods to have lived.

Cameroceras often spend most their time in deep water to catch prey. Like modern octopi and squids, They caught prey with their massive tentacles after they smell them out. When these orthocones caught their prey with their tentacles, they would crush them to bits with their sharp beak. Cameroceras also had a large shell which was used for protection from predators.

Behavior & Traits

Like modern nautiloids, Cameroceras lived a solitary life. Like modern cephalopods, Cameroceras were sensitive to bright lights and would often stay in deeper water.

Gallery