Titanichthys

Tie-tan-ick-fiss.
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Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

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Name

Titanichthys ‭(‬Titan fish‭)‬.

Phonetic

Tie-tan-ick-fiss.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Placodermi,‭ ‬Arthrodira,‭ ‬Brachythoraci,‭ ‬Coccosteina,‭ ‬Dinichthyloidea,‭ ‬Titanichthyidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Possibly a filter feeder.

Species

T.‭ ‬agassizi‭

Size

Easily up to 8 meters long, possible larger up to 10 meters long. Size depends upon species.

Known locations

Worldwide.

Time Period

Famennian of the Devonian.

Fossil representation

‭I‬nitially many remains but usually of a fragmentary nature,‭ ‬a more complete and articulated specimen has since been discovered.

In Depth

       While Titanichthys appears to have been as large as the fearsome Dunkleosteus,‭ ‬it does not seem to have had the same apex predator lifestyle.‭ ‬Whereas Dunkleosteus had jaws‭ ‬that‭ ‬where incredibly sharp for biting through the armour of other bony placoderms,‭ ‬the jaws of Titanichthys were actually very blunt in comparison.‭ ‬A possible scenario is that Titanichthys used its huge mouth to swallow up large numbers of small shoaling fish that were together,‭ ‬or perhaps even to filter for krill like invertebrates.‭ ‬If true then this would make Titanichthys one of the earliest known filter-feeding fish.

Further Reading

– Placodermi, by R. Denison. – In. Handbook of Palaeoichthyology 2:1-128. – H.-P. Schultze – (ed.).

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

spinosaurus