When scientists first reconstructed the appearance of Oncorhynchus rastrosus in the 1970s, they assumed the enormous teeth were fangs. However, new research using fossils and CT scans has shown that these teeth were more like tusks, sticking out from the fish’s upper jaw. The lead author of the study, Professor Kerin Claeson, explains that these teeth, found in both males and females, would have had a variety of roles, including defending against predators, competing against other salmon, and building nests for incubating eggs.
Unveiling the Prehistoric Spike-Toothed Salmon: A Surprising Twist on the Giant Fish
![](https://byte.eco/jomsoagh/2024/04/Oncorhynchus-rastrosus.jpg)