Description. According to Wright & Kennedy (1979) and Wright (1996), small, involute, inflated or even globular ammonites, rarely exceeding 30 mm in diameter, with a small, deep, funnel-shaped umbilicus. Weak to strong umbilical bullae give rise to one or two coarse, rounded, more or less straight ribs. The microconchs have ventrolateral tubercles on the body chamber. Suture line very simplified. Genus probably derived from Stoliczkaia. Type species Ammonites salazacensis, Hébert & Munier-Chalmas, 1875. Upper Albian, fallax zone: France, England, Hungary (Bakony Mountains), Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Species. In 1979, Wright & Kennedy wrote that the genus has only one species, Salaziceras salacenze (Hébert & Munier-Chalmas, 1875), discovered in the condensed level of Salazac (Gard). This ammonite has small umbilical tubercles, each of which gives rise to two raised ribs on venter (sometimes only one), with slightly larger intercostal spaces (photos on the left).
Since then, several species have been created. S. nigerianum Förster & Scholz, 1979, from Nigeria as its name suggests, has strong umbilical tubercles giving rise to bifid ribs. S. lemoinei Kennedy & Klinger, 2008, from Madagascar, can reach 70 mm, with a flattened venter and straight ribs. S. bakonyense Scholz, 1979, from the Bakony Mountains (Hungary), has the tubercles and ribs of S. salazacense but possesses a ventral groove. Scholz created the subgenus Noskytes for this particular species.
Remarque. This genus was created under the name Salaziceras by Breistroffer (1936, p. 64). Since the name of the type locality was Salazac, this author later corrected the name to Salazaciceras (1940, p. 127), but according to the ICZN, this is an illegitimate emendation of a previously published name. The genus is rare outside of Salazac and the Bakony Mountains. For example, only one specimen has been found in South Africa (Klinger & Kennedy, 1994). These ammonites are reminiscent of the globose Sonneratia of Lower Albian, such as Sonneratia (Globosonneratia) perinflata or S. (G.) luppovi, which also have umbilical tubercles giving rise to paired ribs that cross venter (see their entries). But apart from the age difference, these Sonneratia have wider and more rounded ribs, with narrow intervals.