Xiphactinus - Cosmocaixa

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The current fish belong in the majority to the group of teleosts. Although they appeared at the end of Triassic time, about 220 Ma ago, they did not stand out until mid-Cretaceous time. While dinosaurs dominated Earth, teleosts dominated seas. But unlike what finally happened with dinosaurs, teleosts continued to prosper during Tertiary time. The Xiphactinus, also called "fish bulldog" by the shape of its head, is the largest of known teleosts, almost 5 meters long. It was a voracious predator that is evidenced by finding examples that had swallowed whole fish nearly two meters long. Today, with more than 30,000 species, they constitute the most diverse group of vertebrates. This specimen is hung on the wall of Plant -2 Cosmocaixa in Barcelona.