Leedsichthys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids LeedsichthysTemporal range: Middle Jurassic
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| Leedsichthys with scuba-diver for scale | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Pachycormiformes
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Pachycormidae
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Leedsichthys
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| Binomial name | |
| Leedsichthys problematicus |
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Leedsichthys problematicus (say "Leed-sick-thees prob-lem-AT-ih-kus") was a super-giant fish that lived a long, long time ago during the Jurassic period. It was part of a group of extinct fish called pachycormids, which were a type of ray-finned fish.
Leedsichthys is the biggest fish ever known! Scientists think it could grow up to 16 meters (about 52 feet) long. To give you an idea, that's longer than a school bus! Today, the blue whale is even bigger, at about 30 meters (98 feet), but blue whales are mammals, not fish.
Scientists have found many fossils of Leedsichthys, but none of them are complete. This makes it hard to know its exact length. The fossil was named after Alfred Nicholson Leeds, who found it before 1886 near Peterborough, England. We don't have a full skeleton because some parts, like its snout, were made of cartilage. Cartilage is softer than bone, so it usually doesn't turn into fossils.
What Did Leedsichthys Eat?
Just like the biggest fish alive today, the whale shark, Leedsichthys was a filter feeder. This means it swam with its mouth open, filtering tiny living things called plankton from the water to get its nutrition. Imagine a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up tiny bits of food!
Scientists have found the remains of more than 70 different Leedsichthys individuals. This helps us learn a lot about these amazing ancient fish.
Images for kids
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Photo of Arthur Smith Woodward, the scientist who first described Leedsichthys.
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A size comparison of the largest Leedsichthys with other Pachycormid fish.
