Oncorhynchus rastrosus
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| Oncorhynchus rastrosus Fossil range: Late Miocene to Pleistocene |
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Smilodonichthys rastrosus |
Oncorhynchus rastrosus, also known as "Smilodonichthys rastrosus," and "Sabertooth salmon," was a species of salmon that lived along the Pacific coast of North America, first appearing in the late Miocene of California, then dying out some time during the Pleistocene. Adults grew to be 9 feet in length, and are believed to have been anadromous like their living relatives. Besides being the largest member of the genus Oncorhynchus, members of this species had a pair of small "fangs" protruding from the tip of the snout, thus explaining the common name and synonym. Beyond their fangs, adults of O. rastrosus had comparatively few teeth compared to their smaller, modern relatives, leading scientists to suggest that the adults were planktivores.
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