Re: Leedsichthys.

[Danvarner@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-09-15 16:20:36 EDT, you write:

<< 
 Leedsichthys has been featured extensively in the books and website
 (http://www.trollart.com/STRANGECRITTERS.html) of Ray Troll, although the
 amount of material this is based on I'm uncertain of. Leedsichthys was a
 pachycormid, a group of fairly diverse actinopterygians that were either
full-
 fledged teleosts or their sister group. 
  >>
  Protosphyraena, a fish from the Niobrara chalk is also a pachycormid and
presents the same problems for the restoration artist. It is known from some
very interesting skulls with swordfish-like rostrums and weird teeth. They
also had very wicked -looking long pectoral fin spines with enameled, saw-
tooth edges that looked like they were meant to cut something in half. But
that's it. The rest of the skeleton was cartilaginous and wasn't preserved. So
far. Frustrating, isn't it? I understand that Leedsichthys was equipped with
gill-rakers for straining plankton and was part of a general expansion into
this niche. The whale shark, Rhincodon, appears about this time also-
exploiting this same food source. Dan Varner.