Fossils ofBelonostomus have been found worldwide in marine deposits, although some species are known from freshwater habitats.[3] The oldest known species are from the Upper Jurassic of Germany and England, with the youngest known species from the lateMaastrichtian. One specimen has been recovered from the latePaleocene-agedTongue River Member ofNorth Dakota, which would suggest that this genus was the only aspidorhynchean to survive into theCenozoic, although it is possible this fossil may have been reworked from earlier formations.[3][4]
It likely consumed plankton or other small fish,[5] though one specimen from the Late Jurassic of Germany was found with the rhynchocephalianHomoeosaurus as stomach contents.[6]
B. sphyraenoidesAgassiz, 1844 - Tithonian of Germany (Solnhofen Formation) (syn:B. brachysomusAgassiz, 1837,B. angustuszu Münsterex von Leonhard & Bronn, 1842)[8][13]
B. tenuirostris(Agassiz, 1833) - Tithonian of Germany (Solnhofen Formation)[13] and France (paleontological site of Cerin) (type species) (syn:Aspidorhynchus tenuirostrisAgassiz, 1833,B. subulatusAgassiz, 1834,B. ventralisAgassiz, 1834)[8]
Indeterminate remains are known from worldwide, including theGulf Coast of the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas),[15] Australia, Belgium, Lebanon, and Russia.[2]
†B. tenuirostris (Agassiz, 1835) from the Jurassic of Painten, Germany
The former speciesB. acutusAgassiz, 1844 (syn:B. tenellusAgassizex Egerton 1841) andB. anningiaeAgassiz, 1843 from the early-mid Jurassic of England are now thought to be species of the unrelatedsaurichthyiformSaurorhynchus.[17] The former speciesB. carinatusMawson and Woodward, 1907 from theHauterivian of Brazil is now thought to be a stem-gar in the familyObaichthyidae.[18] The former speciesB. indicusWoodward, 1890 is now thought to be a true gar,Lepisosteus indicus.[19] The former speciesB. microcephalusWinkler, 1862 from the Tithonian of Germany is now thought to be ajunior synonym ofAspidorhynchus acustirostris, whileB. flexuosusPhilips, 1871 is one ofA. crassus.[20] The former speciesB. sweetiEtheridge & Woodward, 1892 is now placed inRichmondichthys. The former speciesB. pygmaeusWinkler, 1874 from the Tithonian of Germany is thought to be an immature specimen of one of the otherSolnhofenBelonostomus species.[7]
^abcBrito, P. M. (1997). "Révision des Aspidorhynchidae (Pisces, Actinopterygii) du Mésozoïque : ostéologie, relations phylogénétiques, données environnementales et biogéographiques".Geodiversitas.S2CID88964324.
^México~alvarado@geologia.unam.mx, Jesús Alvarado-Ortega~Universidad Nacional Autónoma de; México~j4ir@me.com, Jair Israel Barrientos-Lara~Universidad Nacional Autónoma de; Espinosa@geologia.unam.mx, Luis Espinosa-Arrubarrena~ Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México~; México~pilar_melgarejo@yahoo.com, María del Pilar Melgarejo-Damián~Universidad Nacional Autónoma de (2014-07-09)."Late Jurassic marine vertebrates from Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca State, southern Mexico".Palaeontologia Electronica. Retrieved2025-01-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
