Yes, it looks like the Sarlacc Pit of Return of the Jedi fame. What a mad looking mouth. What sort of a creature would carry around weaponry like that in its mouth and throat?
What kind of prey would a monster like this be chasing to require arming itself with this multitude of inward facing knives?
Have you guessed what it is? Have another look:
The answer isn’t as obvious as it seems. Rows upon rows of swords lying neck and neck ready for a murderous killing spree. Who is the mystery beast?
Here’s the oesophagus of the creature in question, the spikes go all the way down…
Have you guessed what it is? Answer coming up…
The answer, as surprising as it seems, is the leatherback sea turtle. These creatures are one of the biggest reptiles on earth. They attain their mighty size thanks to their impressive dentures. Leatherbacks don’t chase down huge meaty fish, oh no. They eat jellyfish, and lots of them.
Each jellyfish is an easy catch for the huge and well adapted ocean swimmer, but the problem is, as the name suggests, jellyfish are slippery customers.
Once a leatherback has caught a jellyfish, the jellyfish is going to do all it can to escape the grip of the turtle. Row upon row of spiky teeth help the leatherback guarantee that the feast will stay in its gullet. Because it catches virtually every jellyfish it hunts, it can grow to a mighty size and drift about the seas without a care in the world.
The leatherbacks are thought to help control jellyfish numbers globally, but the species is currently in trouble, thanks to humans (of course). To a reptilian eye, a plastic bag floating in the ocean looks pretty similar to a jellyfish, but they’re a lot more toxic and trickier to digest.
Naughty humans.
MORE OCEAN ODDITIES:
