Bochius longirostris

Blochius longirostris is a species of prehistoric fish belonging to the family Blochiidae. This fish lived in the middle Eocene (about 50 million years ago) and its fossils have been found exclusively in the well-known Monte Bolca (Italy).

Blochius longirostris was similar to a swordfish. It could reach a length of about 150 cm and had a very slender elongated body, a narrow head with elongated upper and lower jaws and large eyes.

G. S. Volta, Ittiolitologia Veronese del museo Bozziano ora annesso a quello del conte Giovambattista Gazola e di altri gabinetti fossili veronesi con la versione latina, Stamperia Guiliari, Verona, 1796–1808, 323 pp. C. R. Eastman, Catalog of fishes in the Carnegie Museum. Part 1. Fishes from the Upper Eocene of monte Bolca. Mem. Carnegie Mus., Pittsburgh 4, 1911. pp. 349–391. W. Landini e L. Sorbini. 1996. Ecological and trophic relationships of Eocene monte Bolca (Pesciara) fish fauna, pp 105–112 in A. Cherchi, ed. Autoecology of selected fossil organisms: achievements and problems. Boll. soc. Paleo. Italiana spec 3. H.L. Fierstine e K. A. Monsch. 2002. Redescription and phylogenetic relationships of the Family Blochiidae (Perciformes: Scombroidei), middle Eocene, monte Bolca, Italy. Miscellanea Paleontologica, studi e ricerche sui giacimenti terziari di Bolca, mus. civico storia nat. Verona 9: 121–163. H.L. Fierstine, 2006. Fossil history of billfishes (Xiphioidei). Bull. Mar. Sci., 79(3): 433–453.