1.3" Xiphactinus Audax Fossil Vertebrae Cretaceous Era Fish Niobrara FM Kansas

Location: Niobrara Formation, Gove County, Kansas

Weight: 0.6 Ounces 

Dimensions: 1.3 Inches Long, 1.2 Inches Wide, 0.8 Inches Thick

Late Cretaceous, 83 million years old

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This is a real fossil

Xiphactinus Audax was one of the largest bony fish of the Late Cretaceous, ranking among the fiercest predators of its time. This massive hunter could reach lengths of up to 17 feet (5 meters) and used its powerful tail and broad, winglike pectoral fins to rocket through the surface waters of the ancient seas. With an upturned jaw lined with giant, fanglike teeth, it had a bulldog-like expression that made it a nightmare for unlucky fish and unsuspecting seabirds.

A 13-foot (4-meter) Xiphactinus could open its jaws wide enough to swallow a six-foot (2-meter) fish whole—an ability confirmed by fossil discoveries that preserve entire prey inside its body. Despite its fearsome size and strength, it was not invincible, sometimes falling prey to the giant shark Cretoxyrhina.

This predator thrived in the Western Interior Seaway, a vast inland ocean that covered much of central North America during the Cretaceous. If alive today, Xiphactinus would closely resemble a giant tarpon—only with massive fangs and an appetite to match.