Department of Earth Science

Barkatullah University
Bhopal (M.P.)
Session-2018-19

Cephalopoda

By-
Alok Dhuriya
M.Sc.Applied Geology 2nd sem
Introduction
 A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan -class
Cephalopoda (Gr. Cephalon = Head, Poda = foot)
such as a squid, octopus or nautilus.
 These exclusively marine animals are characterized
by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a
set of arms or tentacles (muscular hydrostats)
modified from the primitive molluscan foot.
 Cephalopods became dominant during
the Ordovician period, represented by
primitive nautiloids.
Morphology
 The structure secreted by the mantle of cephalopods
for protection or neutral buoyancy is called
the Shell or Conch.
 The complete shell is basically a hollow cone with two
major parts, the Body Chamber, or Living Chamber,
and the Phragmocone.
 The opening on the large end is called the Aperture,
and the Apex is at the tip of the small end. The shell
or Test that forms the cone is called the Shell Wall.
 Ventral is the side the hyponome or siphon was on,
usually identified by the Hyponomic Sinus, an
indentation in the shell to let the hyponome protrude.
 Dorsal is the opposite side. Adoral, Adapertural,
and Forward, are towards the
aperture, Adapical and Backwardare towards the
apex.
 Anterior is adapertural and Posterior is
adapical. Lateral is between ventral and dorsal.
 Longitudinal is in an anterior to posterior direction,
and Transverse is in a dorsal to ventral direction.
 The shell may be straight, slightly curved or coiled. In
most of the forms the coiling in in horizontal plane i.e,
discoidal, but at times coiling is in vertical plane i.e,
helicoidal.

 Sutures: The first ammonoids had septa only slightly

more complicated than nautiloids. Over time, the
septa became more convoluted, with more complex
sutures.

 Goniatites : Goniatitic sutures are simple wavy

lines. These ammonoids are typically plump and more
spherical, like nautiloids. Goniatites are usually Late
Paleozoic in age.
 b. Ceriatites : In the Permian and Triassic,
ammonoid septa became more complex. This
produced ceriatitic sutures, where the sutures
forms a rounded wiggle, and then a spiky wiggle.

 c. Ammonites: Jurassic and Cretaceous

ammonoids usually have much more complex
septa, and so complicated sutures. Ammonitic
sutures look a bit like very fancy mittens, with
many wiggles that represent the corrugations in
the septa.
Types of suture
Shapes of cephalopoda shells
 Orthoceracone shell is straight e.g., Orthoceras,
Bactrites.

 Cyrtoceracone shell is slightly curved e.g.,Cyrtoceras.

 Gyroceracone shell is loosly coiled, e.g., Gyroceras.

 Tarphyceracone shell shows complete coiling and the

whorls are connected with each other, e.g.,
Tarphyceras.

 Involute shell exhibits only the body whorl which

covers all other whorls, e.g., Nautilus.
 Trochoceracone shell exhibit helicoid coiling, e.g.,
Trochoceras.

 Lituiticone and Baculiticone shell exhibit partly

coiled nature, e.g., lituites, Baculities.

 Bervicone shell exhibit cap like appearance, e.g.,

Berviceras.

 The shell may be four and half meters to thirty metres

In length. The genus Pachydiscus has longest shell.
SUB-CLASS 1 –COLEOIDEA OR DIBRANCHIATA
 Shell internal, embedded in tissue, calcareous,
chitinous or cartilaginous.
 8 or 10 circumoral appendeges with suckers.
 Only one pair of gills,funnel and tube like.
 Ink glands and chromatophore present.
 Devided into 4 orders;
a) sepioidea
b) teuthoidea(squids)
c) octapoda
d) vampyromorpha
SUBCLASS 2- NAUTILOIDEA
 Shell external,coiled and chambered,more than 10(63
to 94) circumoral appendeges without suckers.
 2 pairs of gills.
 Ink glands and chromatophores absent. eg; nautilus
pompilius, endoceras.
SUB-CLASS 3 - AMMONOIDEA
 Shell is external,coiled.
 Syphon is external.
 Extinct forms of mesozoic era. eg; ammonites.