Chimaera - Tumblr Posts
This shark evolved to have two mouths.
That’s right, Slifer the Sky Dragon’s silly looking double mouths are totally scientifically accurate. Based on limited archeological evidence of a long extinct weirdo shark. Oh yeah, and it was roughly 2 meters (6'7") long. So that's fun.
Metopacanthus granulatus is a Chimaera, a group of cartilaginous fish distantly related to sharks and rays. Unlike a shark’s rows of teeth, chimaeras have very distinctive mouths with just a few beak-like tooth plates. So maybe the second mouth evolved to be better at catching fish than what the true mouth would be capable of? I guess? Why not just change the main mouth? I want whatever evolution was smoking when it made this.
The "teeth" of the secondary mouth thingy (I don't even know what to call it) are actually just modified dermal denticles, which are the shark equivalent of scales. But shark denticles are made of tooth enamel instead of keratin. So modifying them into teeth is pretty straight forward. In fact, all teeth likely evolved from modified denticles or scales. Its secondary mouth thingy is so primitive and simplistic that the very first jaws (pun unintended) to ever evolve probably looked a lot like it.
Anyways, I think a trap door leading to a tank of these guys would be a great addition to any laboratory's decor. That's twice the biting action for half as many sharks!
Here are my sources. Unfortunately all the good papers for the extinct Metopacanthus granulatus are in German, so beyond the knowledge of mortal men. If anyone has a translation of the primary German papers on the topic, or is able and willing to translate it, I would be interested in seeing that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metopacanthus#cite_note-2
https://palaeopedia.tumblr.com/post/155290637858/the-metopacanthus-1837-phylum-chordata-class
http://palaeos.com/vertebrates/bones/dermal/mandibular-dentary.html
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A chimera foraging. Filmed in Puget Sound, USA. From Ocean Stories - Dolphins and Whales (2015).
A NEW SPECIES OF GHOST SHARK JUST DROPPED!!! AAAAAAAAAA
LOOK AT IT!!! AAAAAAA!!! IT'S CALLED HARIOTTA AVIA!!! IT'S SO PRETTY AND COOL!!!
Dr. Brit Finucci, who discovered this species, said :
“Harriotta avia is unique due to its elongated, narrow and depressed snout; long, slender trunk; large eyes; and very long, broad pectoral fins. It is a lovely chocolate brown colour."
and
“Ghost sharks like this one are largely confined to the ocean floor, living in depths of up to 2,600m. Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting."
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Note: despite the common name, ghost sharks aren't actually sharks, they are chimaeras. They are a group of cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays.
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You can read more about Harriotta avia here:
And here:
