Xiphiorhynchus

Xiphiorhynchus is an extinct genus of prehistoric swordfish that lived from the Eocene until the Oligocene.^[1] Unlike the modern swordfish, both the upper and lower jaws of Xiphiorhynchus were extended into blade-like points.

Xiphiorhynchus Temporal range: Eocene–Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Artist's restoration of X. rotundus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Carangiformes
Suborder:	Menoidei
Superfamily:	Xiphioidea
Family:	Xiphiidae
Genus:	†Xiphiorhynchus Van Beneden, 1871
Species
†X. elegans Van Beneden 1871 (type) †X. eocaenicus Woodward 1901 †X. parvus Casier 1966 †X. priscus Agassiz 1833 †X. rotundus Monsch et al. 2005

Distribution

Fossils of Xiphiorhynchus have been found in:^[2]

Eocene

• La Meseta Formation, Antarctica
• London Clay, Selsey and Elmore Formations, England
• Yazoo Formation, Louisiana
• Moodys Branch Formation, Mississippi
• Castle Hayne Formation, North Carolina

Oligocene

• Chandler Bridge Formation, South Carolina

See also

• Fish portal
• Paleontology portal

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish