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Biography

Not only was Orthacanthus very similar to the smaller Xenacanthus,‭ ‬it also has a similar temporal range in the fossil record.‭ ‬The two sharks probably coexisted with only the minimum of competition between the two.‭ ‬This is because at only one meter long,‭ ‬Xenacanthus could operate in waters that were too small or densely overgrown to support a three meter long predator like Orthacanthus.‭ As the larger of the two,‭ ‬Orthacanthus would have specialised in larger and more powerful prey that it would have seized with its double fanged teeth.‭ ‬The overall eel like body morph of Orthacanthus is a reflection of its habitat.‭ ‬Rather than being a pelagic open seas predator,‭ ‬Orthacanthus hunted in freshwater swamps and waterways that would have been densely overgrown in areas.‭ ‬By having a long body with short fins Orthacanthus could navigate these waters without getting stuck in submerged debris and vegetation.‭ ‬It's possible that Orthacanthus may have used ambush tactics like lurking within the submerged debris‭ ‬and plants waiting for prey to pass by. The spike that rises up from the back of the head of Orthacanthus seems to have been a defensive feature to stop other predators from clamping their jaws onto its head.‭ ‬These exact predators may still be unknown to science but they may have been other fish like Hyneria,‭ ‬or large amphibian tetrapods.