River Monsters of the Mesozoic

When one thinks of the river monsters of the past, they often think of the giant crocodilians of North America or Africa. What many don't think of are the giant fish that also swum in the rivers, lakes, and streams that dinosaurs relied on. So just what sort of Mesozoic river monsters existed? Here's a handful of species that may have given dinosaurs a second thought about getting in the water...

Giant Saw Fish-

Species like Onchopristis were among the largest freshwater fish ever! Adults could measure over 7 meters long. Their giant "saws" certainly would help keep predators at bay, even Spinosaurus.

Alligator Gar-

The largest gator gars from our time are known to reach an impressive 4 meters long and weigh over 300 pounds. However, their prehistoric counterparts may have been even bigger, perhaps nearly 5 meters in length. Their long jaws are filled with teeth, 2 rows of them!

Catfish-

Many of the modern day freshwater giants are catfish. Some simply inhale their prey. Others, like the Goonch pictured above, have shark like teeth. Some of these giants stretch over 3 meters long and weigh 400+ pounds. Perhaps even bigger ones swam alongside the giant crocs during the Mesozoic.

Freshwater Rays-

With wingspans over 2-3 meters and weights tipping the scales at 300-400 pounds, giant rays are among the largest freshwater fish today. With their venomous barbs and huge size, prehistoric freshwater rays would certainly pose a threat just about anything.

Goliath Tigerfish-

Goliath Tigerfish can measure some 2-3 meters in length and weigh hundreds of pounds. With giant teeth and huge size, they are top predators. If they lived alongside dinosaurs, I'm sure they would have had no problem taking out small ones, especially if they grew even bigger back then.

Please note these are only a few of the many species of freshwater killer fish that lived alongside dinosaurs. Some like the catfish and tigerfish are only guesses as to whether or not they really did live alongside dinosaurs. Little direct evidence exists, but this is the case for nearly everything. Therefore, I feel comfortable saying they may have lived with them.

PS- I got my inspiration from Animal Planet's River Monsters(one of my favorite shows).