(Terra Antarcticus) The Coast and Ocean: The Creelmouth
This creature is the mighty Creelmouth, a 17 meter (55.7 ft) long leviathan that is the last known representative of the pachycormids, an order of bony fish that once roamed all of the world’s oceans during the mesozoic era. Though pachycormids came in an array of different forms and sizes, the Creelmouth is descended from one of the larger species, possibly Leedsichthys, and like its ancestors possesses massive mouths and specialized gill rakers that filter food from the water. What separates them from their ancestors, however, are the presence of massive, blunt protrusions of bone on the lower jaws of adult males; these protrusions (colloquially referred to as tusks despite not actually being teeth) are used for combat during the mating season, with two males locking together and attempting to push each other backwards. Unable to draw in oxygen through their gills when in this predicament, one of them will inevitably yield and break away from the confrontation, with the one who didn’t being the winner of the fight.
I’m back with my second post showing snippets from my Terra Antarcticus project. Displayed here is the Creelmouth, a descendant of the pachicormid fish Leedsichthys problematicus. I’ve rarely seen pachycormids used in spec evo despite their abundance and diversity during the Mesozoic, so I decided to include one in my project to fill the niche of baleen whales.
I will attempt answer any questions when I have the opportunity. Thank you for viewing
This creature is the mighty Creelmouth, a 17 meter (55.7 ft) long leviathan that is the last known representative of the pachycormids, an order of bony fish that once roamed all of the world’s oceans during the mesozoic era. Though pachycormids came in an array of different forms and sizes, the Creelmouth is descended from one of the larger species, possibly Leedsichthys, and like its ancestors possesses massive mouths and specialized gill rakers that filter food from the water. What separates them from their ancestors, however, are the presence of massive, blunt protrusions of bone on the lower jaws of adult males; these protrusions (colloquially referred to as tusks despite not actually being teeth) are used for combat during the mating season, with two males locking together and attempting to push each other backwards. Unable to draw in oxygen through their gills when in this predicament, one of them will inevitably yield and break away from the confrontation, with the one who didn’t being the winner of the fight.
I’m back with my second post showing snippets from my Terra Antarcticus project. Displayed here is the Creelmouth, a descendant of the pachicormid fish Leedsichthys problematicus. I’ve rarely seen pachycormids used in spec evo despite their abundance and diversity during the Mesozoic, so I decided to include one in my project to fill the niche of baleen whales.
I will attempt answer any questions when I have the opportunity. Thank you for viewing