Xiphiorhynchus

Xiphiorhynchus is an extinct, prehistoric swordfish that lived from the Eocene until the Oligocene. It is closely related to the modern-day swordfish.

Artist's reconstruction of X. rotundus

Description

Xiphiorhynchus resembled a swordfish. However, there's one minor difference. Its upper and lower jaws were extended to look like the point of a sword.

Lifestyle

Xiphiorhynchus probably spent time in coastal areas of tropical seas. There are specimens of X. priscus and the holotype of X. kimbalocki.

Type species

The type species is Xiphiorhynchus elegans.

The fossils

Xiphiorhynchus is known from incomplete fossils.

Related pages

• Istiophoriformes

References

1. Xiphiorhynchus Archived 2024-01-24 at the Wayback Machine at Fossilworks.org.