Aphanites is a Lower Pennsylvanian ammonite belonging to the Goniatitid family Reticuloceratidae

Reticuloceratidae

Reticuloceratidae is one of five families of the Gastriocerataceae superfamily. They are an extinct group of ammonoid, which are shelled cephalopods related to squids, belemnites, octopuses, and cuttlefish, and more distantly to the nautiloids.-References:...

 which are characterized by involute subdiscoidal shells covered by linear or biconvex growth lines that may be crossed by longitudinal lirae, producing a reticulate pattern. Sutures are simple, the ventral lobe double pronged. Related genera include Surenites and Reticuloceras.

References

• Aphanites in Paleobiology Database, Surenitinae http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=basicTaxonInfo&taxon_no=148251 8/2/10
• Goniat online, http://www.goniat.org/index.html, Reticuloceratidae 8/2/10