Mosasaurus
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Mosasaurus was the first mosasaur discovered, being found in 1764. It wasn't until 1799 when it was correctly identified as a giant oceangoing lizard. Its limbs had evolved into paddlelike flippers, and it has a vertical fluke on the end of its tail. Its skull is long and robust, with two rows of conical teeth. Mosasaurus is the largest mosasaur, reaching lengths potentially in excess of 50 feet. Mosasaurus was an apex predator of the latest Cretaceous oceans. Like other mosasaurs its size, it preyed upon fish, turtles, ammonites, plesiosaurs, and smaller mosasaurs. Mosasaurs were warm-blooded, with body temperatures similar to those of seabirds. Mosasaurs gave live birth, and spent their whole life cycle at sea. Our Mosasaurus, Big Blue, is about 10 meters (30 feet) long, and we don't expect her to get too much bigger. She lives in a sea pen off the coast of the Aquarium. A giant viewing window in the Aquarium looks into the pen, which is also accessible by boat tours during feeding time. She's quite inquistive, often displaying an interest in viewers. If she bumps the boat, consider it a friendly nudge. During feeding time, we attract her to the boat with the music of AC/DC and dump a load of chum and fish into the water. |
Scientific name Location Time Length Diet |