Extinct Prehistoric Fish that Still Inspire Today

The diversity of prehistoric fish is truly mind-boggling. The Coelacanth, a fish thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs, was discovered alive and well in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.

Some of these ancient creatures are still fascinating us today. The Dunkleosteus, a massive fish with a powerful bite, is often referred to as the "first predator."

The Pikaia, a small fish-like creature, is considered one of the earliest known ancestors of vertebrates.

Rhizodus was a 5m-long ambush predator that lived in freshwater lakes, rivers, and swamps around 335 million years ago.

It had two 22cm-long fangs that protruded from its mouth, giving it a unique look, and used these fangs to catch and puncture the bodies of its prey.

Helicoprion, on the other hand, was a prehistoric shark with a whorl of teeth resembling a buzzsaw set vertically into its jaws, which it used to deshell hard-shelled cephalopods.

Mawsonia, a coelacanth, was confirmed to have faced extinction in the Cretaceous period, around 94 million years ago, and was likely the apex predator in its freshwater and brackish environment.

These ancient fish are a reminder of the diversity and complexity of life on Earth, and the importance of studying and preserving our planet's history.

Rhizodus, a 5m-long ambush predator, lived in freshwater lakes and rivers 335 million years ago. It had two 22cm-long fangs that protruded from its mouth, giving it the look of an aquatic saber-tooth tiger.

Megalodon, a prehistoric shark, was nearly 20m in length and had a bite force of 40,000 PSI, more than 10x that of a great white shark. Its diet changed as it grew, from feeding on fish as juveniles to feasting on dolphins, whales, and other sharks as adults.

Dunkleosteus, a heavily armoured fish, lived during the Late Devonian and had the strongest jaws of any animal, terrestrial or aquatic. Its jaws could bite down at a force of 80,000 PSI, strong enough to puncture steel.

Leedsichthys, often referred to as the largest fish of all time, reached lengths of 16.5m and was a filter feeder that used thousands of pipecleaner-like structures to extract zooplankton and other small animals from the water column.

Megapiranha, a freshwater fish, had a bite force stronger than that of a T.rex, and its jaws were incredibly powerful, capable of crushing the shells of turtles and the plates of armoured catfish.

Dunkleosteus didn't have 'teeth' in a conventional sense, but instead had two pairs of long, bony blades that protruded from its upper and lower jaws. These blades were capable of biting down at a force of 80,000 PSI.

Rhizodus preyed upon everything from other fish to large amphibians that hopped along the shores of the waterways where it lived. Its ambush predator lifestyle allowed it to thrive in its environment.

Leedsichthys occupied a similar niche to today's whale sharks and baleen whales, but had several natural predators that would have posed a significant threat, including the pliosaurs that shared the open oceans with it.

Megalodon lived from the Early Miocene to the Early Pliocene and inhabited seas all over the world, from Europe to Australia. Its cause of extinction is somewhat of a mystery, though competition with its cousins may have been a contributing factor.

Dunkleosteus was a giant of its day, equipped with some of the strongest jaws of any animal. Its powerful jaws allowed it to open its mouth in just 20 milliseconds and create a vacuum that would have sucked in its prey.

The earliest vertebrates evolved from a group of fish-like creatures called jawless fish.

These ancient fish had no jaws, but instead used a sucking motion to capture their prey.

The first vertebrates to develop jaws were the Placoderms, which lived over 450 million years ago.

They had armored plates on their bodies and were one of the most diverse groups of early vertebrates.

The development of jaws allowed for more efficient feeding and a wider range of food sources, paving the way for the evolution of modern vertebrates.

The Placoderms eventually gave rise to the first true fish with backbones, such as the ancient fish known as the Acanthodians.

Titanichthys was a 7m-long behemoth that would have rivalled today's orcas in terms of size.

It was a giant of its time, but its jaws were ill-equipped for biting, crushing, and dismembering prey.

Titanichthys employed a method of feeding known as 'filter feeding', where it opened its cavernous mouth and hoovered up schools of small fish and krill-like zooplankton before swallowing them whole.

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Its mouth was covered in a series of small plates that helped it filter out these tiny animals, trapping them while allowing water to escape as it closed its jaws.

Titanichthys belonged to a group of heavily armoured fish known as the placoderms, a group characterised by the bony plates that cover their heads and upper bodies.

It lived in shallow seas during the Late Devonian and ultimately faced extinction 359 million years ago, along with the rest of the placoderms and many other diverse groups of fish in the second of Earth’s ‘Big Five’ mass extinctions.

Helicoprion was a prehistoric shark known as the 'buzzsaw shark' due to its unique mouth anatomy featuring a whorl of teeth resembling a buzzsaw set vertically into its jaws.

This shark lived during the Early Permian, around 290-270 million years ago, and its fossils have been found all over the world, including the US, China, Norway, and Australia.

Helicoprion's "buzzsaw" was likely used to deshell hard-shelled cephalopods like ammonoids and nautiloids to get at the soft meat inside.

The largest Helicoprion remains found so far include a 56cm tooth whorl that would have belonged to an individual over 7.6m in length, discovered in Idaho, US.

Helicoprion's bite was strong enough to cut through the spines of unarmoured bony fish and other types of sharks.

Ptychodus was a prehistoric shark with a unique mouth lined with knobbly plates covered in hundreds of rounded teeth.

These specialized teeth allowed Ptychodus to crush and grind down the shells of hard-shelled animals like bivalves and crustaceans.

Ptychodus lived during the Cretaceous period, around 105-75 million years ago, and is considered one of the largest sharks of its time.

The largest individuals of Ptychodus are estimated to have grown up to 10m in length.

Fossils of Ptychodus have been found worldwide, suggesting it had a near-global distribution.

Ptychodus grew slowly and matured very late, with some individuals possibly living into their 100s.

Mawsonia was a fish that lived in freshwater and brackish environments, which is unusual because those environments typically don't support giant fish.

Mawsonia is known by several species, but the largest one, Mawsonia gigas, is by far the largest, with individuals thought to have exceeded lengths of 5m.

It's likely that Mawsonia was the apex predator in its environment, but how it fed is still a mystery.

Mawsonia may have used the small, rounded knobs of bone that line its mouth to crush hard-shelled animals.

The coelacanth is a lobe-finned fish from the class sarcopterygii that developed into its current form around 350 – 400 million years ago.

It has not changed or adapted since then, earning it the nickname "living fossil."

The extinct prehistoric fish that caught my attention were the Dunkleosteus, a massive predator that roamed the seas during the Late Devonian period. It's estimated to have reached lengths of up to 20 feet.

The Titanichthys, another notable species, was a large fish that lived during the Early Cretaceous period. It's thought to have been around 15 feet long.

The Leedsichthys, a filter-feeding fish, was one of the largest fish to have ever existed, with estimates suggesting it could grow up to 60 feet in length.

Tiktaalik was a trailblazer that paved the way for all vertebrates that live on land today, including us.

This ancient creature was a predator that terrorised a lot of the animals that lived in and around the shallow, freshwater swamps that once covered parts of northern Canada 375 million years ago.

Tiktaalik is often referred to as a 'fishapod', an animal that blurs the lines between 'fish' and 'tetrapod'.

In life, it would have looked quite similar to today's crocodiles, with a flat, pointed snout and upward-pointing eyes.

Tiktaalik grew to lengths of almost 3m based on fossils.

These adaptations made Tiktaalik a deadly shallow-water predator.

It could lie in wait in just inches of water before lunging at the small fish that dared to enter its domain.

Tiktaalik may have also crawled on land for short periods and hunted some of the invertebrates that lived along the shores of its habitat.

As a member of the group known as the tetrapodomorphs, Tiktaalik is actually more closely related to you than it is to a goldfish.

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Rediscovery is an exciting process that has led to the rediscovery of several notable species. The Lord Howe Island stick insect, for example, was thought to be extinct for over 80 years until its rediscovery in 2001.

This insect's remarkable story is a testament to the power of conservation efforts. The rediscovery of the Lord Howe Island stick insect was a direct result of a concerted effort to protect its habitat.

The discovery of new species is often a thrilling experience for scientists and researchers. However, it's not just about finding new species, but also about understanding their habitats and ecosystems.

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The rediscovery of the Bermuda petrel in 1951 was a significant milestone in ornithology. This species was thought to be extinct for over 300 years.

Conservation efforts have played a crucial role in the rediscovery of several species. The recovery of the California condor, for instance, is a testament to the impact of conservation programs.

The rediscovery of the Alaotra grebe in 2006 was a remarkable achievement for conservationists. This species was thought to be extinct, but a concerted effort by conservationists and researchers led to its rediscovery.

Rediscovery often requires a combination of scientific expertise and community involvement. The rediscovery of the Bermuda petrel, for example, involved a collaborative effort between researchers and local residents.

The rediscovery of species not only sheds light on their biology and ecology but also highlights the importance of conservation efforts. The rediscovery of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, for instance, emphasizes the need for habitat protection and conservation.

The rediscovery of species can also have significant cultural and historical implications. The rediscovery of the Alaotra grebe, for example, has sparked renewed interest in the cultural and historical significance of this species.

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The coelacanth is a fish that's been around for over 400 million years, with the oldest-known fossils dating back to around 400 million years ago.

It's a unique creature with four "limb-like fins" that act almost like legs and move in an alternating pattern, like a trotting horse.

These fins are actually lobe fins, not true legs, but they're an important link between conventional fish and the first creatures that evolved into four-legged, land, and sea-dwelling amphibians.

The coelacanth can grow to over six and a half feet in length and weigh up to 198 pounds, making it a pretty impressive fish.

Females are generally larger than males, and they're docile in larger groups, but they don't like physical contact.

They're nocturnal creatures, which means they're active at night and sleep during the day, and they typically retire to caves or deep waters during the daylight.

The coelacanth has a distinctive joint in its head that allows it to widen its mouth an astonishing amount to swallow its prey, and it's the only known creature to possess this joint.

Its thick "pale mauvy blue" scales are also unique to other extinct marine animals, and they use electricity generated from an electrosensory rostral organ in their snouts to navigate and hunt.

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The extinction of these prehistoric fish is a fascinating topic. Many of these species went extinct at the end of the last Ice Age, around 11,700 years ago.

The lack of fossil evidence makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of their extinction. However, climate change is believed to have played a significant role.

The coelacanth, a "living fossil", is one of the few fish species that survived to the present day. It was thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs.

The coelacanth's ability to adapt to changing environments may have contributed to its survival.

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