Oncorhynchus rastrosus

Last updated

Oncorhynchus rastrosus
Temporal range: Clarendonian-Hemphillian, [1] 12–5  Ma
Oncorhynchus rastrosus UO F-55101.png
Skull of female specimen (UO F-55101)
Oncorhynchus rastrosus reconstruction by Ray Troll.png
Reconstruction by Ray Troll
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Oncorhynchus
Species:
O. rastrosus
Binomial name
Oncorhynchus rastrosus
(Cavender & Miller, 1972)
Synonyms

Smilodonichthys rastrosus

Oncorhynchus rastrosus (originally described as Smilodonichthys rastrosus [2] ) also known as the saber-toothed salmon (now known to be a misnomer), [3] or spike-toothed salmon [1] is an extinct species of salmon that lived along the Pacific coast of North America and Japan. [4] They first appeared in the late Miocene in California, then died out some time during the Early Pliocene. [1] They are members of the genus Oncorhynchus , which contains living pacific salmon.

O. rastrosus was possibly the largest member of the family Salmonidae, rivalling or exceeding the largest living salmonid Hucho taimen in size, [5] with estimates varying from standard length (without tail fin) of 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) and 177 kg (390 lb) [1] to total length of 2.4–2.7 m (7 ft 10 in – 8 ft 10 in) and 200 kg (440 lb). [6] [1] [5]

Members of this species had a pair of small "fangs" protruding from the tip of the snout, thus explaining the common name and synonym. Adults of O. rastrosus had larger gill rakers compared to their smaller, modern relatives, leading scientists to suggest that the adults ate plankton. These salmon are believed to have been anadromous like their living relatives. [7]

Scientists once thought the teeth pointed straight down, like a saber-toothed cat's teeth. Now it is believed the teeth stuck out sideways from the mouth. [5] The salmon's spike teeth grew in size as it transitioned from life in the ocean to fresh water. The salmon bred in fresh water, as Pacific salmon do today. Tooth wear patterns suggest the salmon used its teeth to defend territory and mark nests during the breeding phase. [1]

The species was first described in 1972 from remains found in the Madras Formation near Gateway in Jefferson County, Central Oregon. [2] Other specimens have been described from other parts of Oregon as well as California, [5] as well as central Japan. [4] Additional material subsequently collected from the Gateway locality has included articulated skull material. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon</span> Commercially important migratory fish

Salmon is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera Salmo and Oncorhynchus of the family Salmonidae, native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (Salmo) and North Pacific (Oncorhynchus) basins. Other closely related fish in the same family include trout, char, grayling, whitefish, lenok and taimen, all coldwater fish of the subarctic and cooler temperate regions with some sporadic endorheic populations in Central Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmonidae</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes, consisting of 11 extant genera and over 200 species collectively known as "salmonids" or "salmonoids". The family includes salmon, trout, char, graylings, freshwater whitefishes, taimens and lenoks, all coldwater mid-level predatory fish that inhabit the subarctic and cool temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The Atlantic salmon, whose Latin name became that of its genus Salmo, is also the eponym of the family and order names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megamouth shark</span> Species of shark

The megamouth shark is a species of deepwater shark. Rarely seen by humans, it measures around 5.2 m (17 ft) long and is the smallest of the three extant filter-feeding sharks alongside the relatively larger whale shark and basking shark. According to Sharkman's World Organization a total of 286 specimens have been observed or caught since its discovery in 1976. Like the other two planktivorous sharks, it swims with its mouth wide open, filtering water for plankton and jellyfish. It is recognizable from its large head with rubbery lips. The megamouth is so unlike any other type of shark that it is usually considered to be the sole extant species in the family Megachasmidae, though some scientists have suggested it may belong in the family Cetorhinidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megalodon</span> Extinct giant shark species from 23 to 3.6 million years ago

Otodus megalodon, commonly known as megalodon, is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. O. megalodon was formerly thought to be a member of the family Lamnidae and a close relative of the great white shark, but has been reclassified into the extinct family Otodontidae, which diverged from the great white shark during the Early Cretaceous.

<i>Oncorhynchus masou</i> Species of salmon

The masu salmon, also known as masu or cherry trout in Japan, is a species of salmonid belonging to the genus Oncorhynchus, found in the North Pacific along Northeast/East Asian coasts from the Russian Far East to south through Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Although generally accepted as a salmon in the West, the fish is actually regarded as a trout in Japan as it is the most commonly seen freshwater salmonid in the Japanese archipelago.

Sabretooth or sabertooth may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow trout</span> Fresh-water species of fish

The rainbow trout is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout(O. m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri) that usually returns to freshwater to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. Freshwater forms that have been introduced into the Great Lakes and migrate into tributaries to spawn are also called steelhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chum salmon</span> Species of fish

The chum salmon, also known as dog salmon or keta salmon, is a species of anadromous salmonid fish from the genus Oncorhynchus native to the coastal rivers of the North Pacific and the Beringian Arctic, and is often marketed under the trade name silverbrite salmon in North America. The English name "chum salmon" comes from the Chinook Jargon term tsəm, meaning "spotted" or "marked"; while keta in the scientific name comes from Russian, which in turn comes from the Evenki language of Eastern Siberia. The term 'Dog Salmon' is most commonly used in Alaska and refers to the Salmon whose flesh Alaskans use to feed their dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinook salmon</span> Species of fish

The Chinook salmon is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, Tsumen, spring salmon, chrome hog, Blackmouth, and Tyee salmon. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name chavycha (чавыча).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink salmon</span> Species of fish

Pink salmon or humpback salmon is a species of euryhaline ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of the genus Oncorhynchus, and is the smallest and most abundant of the seven officially recognized species of salmon. The species' scientific name is based on the Russian common name for this species gorbúša (горбуша), which literally means humpie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coho salmon</span> Species of fish

The coho salmon is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon and is often sold as medium red salmon. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name kizhuch (кижуч).

<i>Oncorhynchus</i> Genus of fishes

Oncorhynchus is a genus of ray-finned fish in the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae, native to coldwater tributaries of the North Pacific basin. The genus contains twelve extant species, namely six species of Pacific salmon and six species of Pacific trout, all of which are migratory mid-level predatory fish that display natal homing and semelparity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big River (California)</span> River in Mendocino County, California (USA), south of Mendocino Village

The Big River is a 41.7-mile-long (67.1 km) river in Mendocino County, California, that flows from the northern California Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean at Mendocino, Mendocino County, California. From the mouth, brackish waters extend 8 miles (13 km) upstream, forming the longest undeveloped estuary in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biwa trout</span> Species of fish

The Biwa trout is an anadromous salmonid fish of the genus Oncorhynchus, endemic to Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, but also introduced to Lake Ashi and Lake Chūzenji. While called trout, the fish is most closely related to the masu salmon of the western Pacific Ocean, and is most often considered a subspecies of it, Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus.

<i>Oncorhynchus lacustris</i> Extinct species of fish

Oncorhynchus lacustris is an extinct species of prehistoric freshwater trout from the late Miocene to late Pliocene of Western North America. Its fossils have been found in lacustrine deposits in what is now Idaho.

<i>Livyatan</i> Extinct genus of sperm whale from the Miocene epoch

Livyatan is an extinct genus of macroraptorial sperm whale containing one known species: L. melvillei. The genus name was inspired by the biblical sea monster Leviathan, and the species name by Herman Melville, the author of the famous novel Moby-Dick about a white bull sperm whale. Herman Melville often referred to whales as "Leviathans" in his book. It is mainly known from the Pisco Formation of Peru during the Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch, about 9.9–8.9 million years ago (mya); however, finds of isolated teeth from other locations such as Chile, Argentina, the United States (California), South Africa and Australia imply that either it or a close relative survived into the Pliocene, around 5 mya, and may have had a global presence. It was a member of a group of macroraptorial sperm whales and was probably an apex predator, preying on whales, seals and so forth. Characteristically of raptorial sperm whales, Livyatan had functional, enamel-coated teeth on the upper and lower jaws, as well as several features suitable for hunting large prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in California</span> Paleontological research occurring within or conducted by California

Paleontology in California refers to paleontologist research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of California. California contains rocks of almost every age from the Precambrian to the Recent.

The Pinole Tuff Formation is a geologic formation of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capistrano Formation</span> Geologic formation in coastal southern Orange County, California

The Capistrano Formation is a geologic formation in coastal southern Orange County, California. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Miocene to early Pliocene, with the Oso Member representing a near-shore environment. Fifty-nine species and varieties of foraminifera are recognized from the Capistrano Formation alongside a diverse array of marine mammals including up to five species of walrus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kype</span>

A kype is a hook-like secondary sex characteristic which develops at the distal tip of the lower jaw in some male salmonids prior to the spawning season. The structure usually develops in the weeks prior to, and during, migration to the spawning grounds. In addition to the development of the kype, a large depression forms in the two halves of the premaxilla in the upper jaw, allowing the kype to fit into the premaxilla when the mouth is closed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sankey, Julia; Biewer, Jacob; Basuga, Janis; Palacios, Francisco; Wagner, Hugh (2016). "The giant, spike-toothed salmon, Oncorhynchus rastrosus and the "Proto-Tuolumne River" (early Pliocene) of Central California". PaleoBios. 33: 1–16. doi:10.5070/P9331033123.
  2. 1 2 Cavender, T., & Miller, R. R. (1972). Smilodonichthys rastrosus: A new Pliocene salmonid fish from Western United States. Museum of Natural History, University of Oregon.
  3. "Saber-toothed Salmon", The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon, archived from the original on 2016-06-24, retrieved 2012-04-27
  4. 1 2 Takakuwa, Yuji (2021). "The first fossil record of giant spike-toothed salmon, Oncorhynchus rastrosus from the Northwestern Pacific region" (PDF). Bull.Gunma Mus.Natu.Hist. 25: 41–48.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Claeson, Kerin M.; Sidlauskas, Brian L.; Troll, Ray; Prescott, Zabrina M.; Davis, Edward B. (2024-04-24). Witten, Paul Eckhard (ed.). "From sabers to spikes: A newfangled reconstruction of the ancient, giant, sexually dimorphic Pacific salmon, †Oncorhynchus rastrosus (SALMONINAE: SALMONINI)". PLOS ONE. 19 (4): e0300252. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300252 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   11042722 . PMID   38656950.
  6. Stearley, R.F. and G.R. Smith. 2016. Salmonid fishes from Mio-Pliocene lake sediments in the Western Snake River Plain and the Great Basin. in W.L. Fink and N. Carpenter (eds.). Fishes of the Mio-Pliocene Western Snake River Plain and Vicinity. Misc. Pub. Museum Zoology, University of Michigan 204:1–45
  7. Thomas P. Eiting, Gerald R. Smith, Miocene salmon (Oncorhynchus) from Western North America: Gill Raker evolution correlated with plankton productivity in the Eastern Pacific, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Volume 249, Issues 3–4, 19 June 2007, Pages 412-424, ISSN 0031-0182