Proteroctopus | |
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An artist's illustration of Proteroctopus ribeti | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Subclass: | Coleoidea |
Superorder: | Octopodiformes |
Order: | Octopoda |
Family: | incertae sedis |
Genus: | †Proteroctopus Fischer & Riou, 1982 |
Species: | †P. ribeti |
Binomial name | |
†Proteroctopus ribeti Fischer & Riou, 1982 |
Proteroctopus was a primitive octopus that lived in the Middle Jurassic period in Europe, approximately 164 million years ago. The single fossil specimen assigned to this species originates from the Lower Callovian of Voulte-sur-Rhône in France. This specimen is currently on display at the Musée de Paléontologie de La Voulte-sur-Rhône.
The morphology of Proteroctopus ribeti suggests a necto-epipelagic mode of life, reminiscent of many octopi species of today.