Hemihoplites

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Hemihoplites is an extinct genus of ammonoid cephalopods in the family Hemihoplitidae. They lived in the early Cretaceous period, roughly 136 to 125 million years ago (Hauterivian to Barremian ages). These creatures were fast swimmers and carnivores.

The shells of Hemihoplites are evolute and compressed, with a rectangular whorl section. Their ribs can be simple or branched, long or short, well spaced, and straight or slightly curved, crossing the flat outer edge of the shell. They typically show distinct bumps (umbilical and ventrolateral tubercles).

Fossils of Hemihoplites have been found in several regions around the world, including Antarctica (Alexander Island), Bulgaria, southeastern France, Mexico, Slovakia, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago. A notable specimen, Hemihoplites soulieri from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is on display in Paris.