Of Prehistoric Eels and Lake Monsters - Cryptomundo

Of Prehistoric Eels and Lake Monsters

"When the paleontology community has pooh-poohed the idea of relict plesiosaurs being responsible for the identity of various sea and lake “monsters” in different places around the world, some researchers have embraced the simpler theory that these hypothetical animals may be giant eels. The giant eel theory goes as far back as famed early American naturalist Constantine Rafinesque in 1817, who proposed it for the Lake Erie monster. The theory was further fueled by a 6 foot larval eel captured off the coast of South Africa in 1930. Based on ratios of the size of the larval stages of known eel species to the adults, it was theorized this 6 foot larvae might produce a 60 foot adult.

In 1970, ichthyologist D.G. Smith produced evidence to suggest that this 6 foot larvae was probably not a true eel but a Notocanthiform fish (related to the true eels). The Notocanths have large larvae that do not have the same disparity in size with the adults, so this was taken as a defeat to the sea serpent idea for the1930 larval fish. This has been disputed by some, however."

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