Oceans are a layered mystery and we have not even explored 96% of them, which makes it impossible for us to know which monsters dwell in the depths of and which monsters used to. Here are the top 15 monstrous sea creatures that went extinct (for good?).
1. Megalodon
These monstrous sea creatures that went extinct 3.6 million years ago is probably the best known on our list. A could grow up to 60 feet long and their bite was more powerful than that of a T- rex. These gigantic beings went extinct for good. Imagine if these were still roaming the ocean! (ugh, I know I can’t)
2. Kronosaurus
It is a short-necked pliosaur whose length is estimated to be almost 30 feet and its teeth could grow upto 11 inches. It was capable of eating an entire grown man and still have room for dessert! Since its flippers are said to be very similar to the modern-day sea turtles, some believe that they could have crawled out on the land to lay their eggs. Now, kids, this is why you should not go egg-hunting!
3. Livyatan Melvillei
These monstrous sea creatures were hyper carnivorous sharks so they loved to eat other sharks. Livyatan melvillei roamed the same oceans as Megalodon, so food must have been tough stuff to score. For an animal who used their teeth to actually eat, these sharks had the longest teeth marking at 1.18 feet. So yes, this fish is not one you would want for your aquarium!
4. Mauisaurus
Mauisaurus beats Megalodon in the case of body length. These beasts were approximately 66 feet long with most of their length lying in the neck area. Their neck measured upto 49 feet long and was also very much flexible, which gave it the appearance of a cross between a giant snake and a sea turtle without its shell so yep pretty terrifying! They roamed the waters around New Zealand and their surrounding beaches were wastelands.
5. Basilosaurus
Behold! The dumbest whale who was also pretty close looking to a snake (a snake whale? or a whale snake?). Although this whale may look like it, it is not in the least a reptile. It simply has a long body of about 50 to 85 feet. And I said dumb because it could only navigate into two dimensions. So it was unable to dive deep, making it easier to escape from this beast by diving and scrambling on the dry beach. (not that I suggest you should try it)
6. Dunkleosteus
It was a 30 feet long carnivorous being that had bony ridges in the places where teeth should be. It was capable of opening its enormous mouth in the fiftieth part of a second, which allowed it to vacuum its prey directly into its gullet.
7. Helicoprion
These sharks could grow upto 30 feet and had a lower jaw full of ‘whorled teeth’. So it looked like a circular saw was stuck to its face. Their serrated teeth imply a carnivorous diet, but some believe that their teeth were farther down rather than on the surface, which would suggest a soft diet like jellyfish and not armored fish, but seriously, I don’t even want to know what a monstrous fish wanted on its menu!
8. Liopleurodon
Its name literally translates to smooth-sided teeth. It was a 21-foot long carnivorous monster (still debating its exact length) who lives in the Jurassic seas. With its massive 2 ton weight, it was a top predator in its ecosystem.
9. Tanystropheus
Perhaps one of the most bizarre vertebrates of all times, this creature could grow fully upto 20 feet with most of its length made up by its abnormally long neck, which was about 12-13 feet. It was either completely aquatic or semi-aquatic, but its teeth suggest that it was primarily a fish eater.
10. Mosasaurus
Imagine a good ol’ crocodile. Now imagine a 57 feet long version of it. Now imagine it has sprouted fins and can snap you in half like a dry twig. Now, my friend you have a pretty good picture of what a Mosasaurus looked like. It was a giant creature roaming the waters of the Netherlands. Its first fossil was found in 1764 also in the Netherlands.
11. Godzilla Shark
Godzilla shark ruled its sea territory about 300 million years ago. Its long gone extinction does not make its nightmarish appearance any more bearable. It was covered with thick reptilian scale all along its 9 feet long body and had very sharp teeth and the largest dorsal fin spine of any shark that has ever lived.
12. Aegirocassis Benmoulae
This sea creature that lives almost 480 million years ago had an appearance of a progeny of a whale and a lobster (if such a thing is possible, that is). It was approximately 6 feet long, but this does not make it less terrifying. Although it only ate plankton like a good little vegetarian, trust me you would not want to come face to face with this thing.
13. Jaekelopterus Rhenaniae
This 2.5 meter long ‘sea scorpion’ is said to be the largest arthropod that ever to has evolved. These fish chopping were enormous for an arthropod. I mean usual scorpions are bad enough, what good could come out of a super-sized fish-eating, sea-roaming one?
14. Temnodontosaurus Eurycephalus
This creature is a cross between a large dolphin and a crocodile. With its 30 feet long massive body, their idea of an evening snack was a 13 feet long aquatic reptile. So better, it was fast as well as strong. Honestly, what a marvelous beast!
15. Deinosuchus Hatcheri
Once again, imagine a crocodile and now double its size. Give it boat-crushing jaw and enough strength to make a ship tremble. That is roughly the picture of the beast we are talking about. These were saltwater crocodiles, 20 feet long, and vicious predators. They marked their territory underwater and on the beaches so terrifying enough to make any adult scream and not go alone to the beach.
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