Fish o' the Day - Dunkleosteus

Our first no-longer-with-us-FOD. Dunkleosteus terrelli was a placoderm, an armored group that were among the first groups of jawed fishes, and lived some 370 million years ago during the latter part of the Devonian period. His claim to fame is his size - Dunkleosteus could reach 30 feet in length and weigh upward of three tons. They're best known for their bony skulls and blade-like jaws - we don't really have a good idea what the rear of the fish might have looked like, and have extrapolated from similar species. Dunkleosteus had no teeth, but employed the beak-like plates on the jaw to slice and dice its prey. A detailed analysis of jaw structure reveals that they may have had one of the most powerful bites of any predator that ever lived. When Dunkleosteus opened its mouth, the upper jaw lifted and the lower jaw simultaneously dropped - unusual among jawed vertebrates. When the jaws slammed shut, they delivered a force of perhaps 8,000 pounds per square inch. Great white sharks and some of the alligators generate similar forces among living animals.

Dunkleosteus, clearly a top predator, apparently prowled inshore waters in search of food. It's unclear whether they also cruised the open ocean.

Now, for some completely inaudible commentary...