Freakish 3ft long sea ‘dinosaur’ with hard-plate armour found washed up on beach

A peculiar sea creature resembling a legless crocodile with buck teeth has been found washed up on a desolate beach in Virginia, USA. Allen Sklar, who has developed a knack for spotting unusual marine creatures, came across the hulking beast while driving across Assateague Island. Intrigued, he parked his vehicle and approached the motionless creature lying on the sand, quickly realizing that it was no ordinary fish out of water. Instead, he had stumbled upon a bizarre-looking armored creature that harks back to the time of dinosaurs.

Measuring approximately three feet in length, the animal boasted an impressive overbite, with its protruding top teeth on full display. Luckily for Allen, this wasn’t his first encounter with such a peculiar creature, allowing him to calmly capture a photograph of what he identified as an Atlantic sturgeon.

According to Allen, he found the fish on the beach of Assateague Island, a 37-mile-long strip of land where he regularly ventures, giving him the opportunity to witness unique sights that others may miss. He shared his discovery on Facebook, describing the fish as a true relic from the era of dinosaurs. He explained that the creature lacks scales but is covered in rows of hard plates called scutes. As a bottom feeder, it consumes a variety of food, including clams, mussels, and dead fish. Four whiskers, known as barbels, located under its chin help it sense food on the ocean floor. The creature possesses a hard and bony mouth without teeth.

Allen emphasized that the sturgeon he encountered was relatively small, as researchers have found specimens weighing up to 160 pounds in rivers and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, while in other parts of the world, they can exceed a thousand pounds. Due to overfishing, Atlantic sturgeons have become endangered and were listed as an endangered species in 2012.

The Atlantic sturgeon is a prehistoric fish known to inhabit rivers and coastal waters, with individuals capable of reaching lengths of up to 14 feet. Allen’s chance encounter sheds light on the existence of these fascinating creatures that have endured through time, captivating those fortunate enough to witness them.

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