Scientists discover new version of giant prehistoric salmon with fangs

Scientists in the United States have discovered a new prehistoric version of salmon gigantic with fangs . According to the document prepared by the researchers, the fish could reach up to 2.7 meters long and had two large teeth on the sides of the upper jaw.

The study was submitted to the scientific journal PLOS One in September 2023, but published only last Wednesday (24).

baptized by Oncorhynchus tracesus, the salmonid lived between 20 and 2 million years ago in the Pacific Northwest. By analyzing the fish's fossil, researchers identified that the term “sabertooth salmon” is, in fact, erroneous.

“The impressive Oncorhynchus tracesus from the Miocene and Pliocene eras was the largest salmonid that ever existed,” the scientists wrote. The fish could reach a size of between 2.4 and 2.7 meters in length.

“We also expanded the original description to characterize sexual dimorphism in mature and breeding individuals. Male and female differ in the shape of the vomer, rostro-dermetmoid-supraethmoid and dental, as well as other existing species of Oncorhynchus“, wrote the scientists, citing the scientific names of physical characteristics that differentiate the genera of the salmonid.

One of the characteristics is that, despite the difference between genders, ancient fish have the same prominent laterally directed premaxillae in both males and females.

“These spikes on the hypertrophied premaxilla could have defended against predators, attacked individuals of the same species and/or helped in nest building,” the researchers wrote.

The discovery changes what we previously knew as Smilodonichthys Rastrosus. Popularly known as “saber tooth salmon”, the fish with prey protruding from its mouth was discovered in 1972.

The difference is where the prey comes from. While the Oncorhynchus has fangs protruding laterally from the jaw, the Smilodonichthys He has sabers exactly like the prehistoric tiger. “The former common name 'sabertooth salmon' no longer reflects our understanding of the species' morphology,” the scientists wrote.

“Now, we have demonstrated that the famous teeth projected laterally like fangs, and not from the inside of the mouth upwards or downwards,” they explained.

According to the researchers, prehistoric salmon had the same behavior as current fish in migrating in complex situations (going up the river against the current, for example) to spawn and reproduce.