Help Identify This Unknown Skeleton

image source: http://atsmedia.cachefly.net/uploads/ats56269_bones.jpg

This unknown skeleton was found by Tiffany Robinson and her children in late June on a Florida beach. I figured if it can be debunked, someone here would surely be able to.

Here's a link to the story and a video: link

Any thoughts?

[edit on 9-7-2008 by ListenD]

Looking at it, the profile does look like some sort of large bony fish. Not having seen the actual skeleton, and not being able to personally check the video, since it won't load for me, it's the best I can give you.
I'm kind of ticked off, I live in Florida and heard nothing of this.
When they asked what happened to the rest of the body, well, that's kind of obviouse. Either it rotted away or something ate it. Hope someone doesn't find the verterbrae there with their foot, probably smart.

Cool bones..
I dont know what that is my research has not shed alot of light on it so far.
I seriously doubt it is anything profound however, but it is a neat find.
Im sure it will stay in the family for about 10 years slowly losing peices as it sits in the little boys room,and when he returns from college someday all that will be left is the head and a vertebrae in a box in his moms garage.
I know how this works!

I googled prehistoric fish and came up with the sturgeon fish.



I guess these things get pretty big. Looks pretty similar to the mystery bones.

I see a resemblance, and yes sturgeon get QUITE large.
What link did you find that picture on?
Im curious it seems that when fish decay they all lose the flesh in the same manner leaving just the head and back as seen in the two photos.
Wow..what an amature I am!

link

Apart from the weird head, thats pretty much how large fish look, so no wonder they look alike.

I live in Florida and I do alot of fishing. I Catch snook and tarpon(Silverking) all the time and this is not like anything I have seen. I'm surprised that in the video they said it could be a snook or tarpon. Thats way off! Not even close!

I'm not 100% sure what this could be but Sturgeon is a good guess. They get big.....www.floridasportsman.com...


Also, This is a sturgeon skull.....
etc.usf.edu...

reply to post by ListenD

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This was actually on a news segment on my local news channel Fox 2 Detroit, MI. I missed the article but will check my TIVO to see if it was recorded.

The head loks a bit like the crucifix fish:

www.seashellcity.com...

Or the sea robin: images.google.com...

I found lots of skulls that look like that (only much smaller) at the Jersey Shore.

I m new here and I have a link to a prehistoric fish that somewhat fits this description. It the Ichthyostega species. Ill attempt to attach a photo of the skeleton. Now the size may vary, but over time the skull features will change.

If you do a simple search for the Ichthyostega species of prehistoric fish many sites will provide more information.

Idk bout this being an Ichthyostega. Compare these pics of the scull and you will see many differences.

Ichthyostega

Mystery Bones

This Anonymous post is contained in this thread but currently being reviewed for T&C. If the Anonymous poster is following this thread, I have a suggestion. Try to manually type in the password sent to you instead of copying and pasting. The password ATS sent you is case sensitive and should be entered just as it is written. A friend of mine recently had the same problem, so this should work. Hope this helps...

It looks like the bones of a Sawfish to me.They are become more frequent in Florida's coasts.They get up to 10 feet long.

www.floridasawfish.com...
www.flmnh.ufl.edu...

THANKYOU!
You solved a most frustrating problem, in fact I suggest making some kind of notice for new members about it in the initial email. Thanks again, and feel free to delete this off-topic response!

reply to post by alienstar

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Isn't the "Sawfish" a member of the Shark family ? .......Made from Cartilage and not bone ?

So if the skeleton is true bone i don't think it would be a Sawfish, Would that be right ?


Dunno if that helps any.

Actually, the skulls I've found are fromthis fish:
filaman.ifm-geomar.de...

Which, although, the bones found are much larger, I think it is at least related to this fish. The skulls are almost identical.

In the picture posted in the OP, it appears that the boy is holding the bottom half of the jaw with the head, but in the video they take it to a museum, and they don't have the bottom jaw anymore? The biologist on the video even says its a shame you don't have the bottom jaw because it is usually very helpful to identify a species......
Smells fishy to me!
hehe

CAn anyone tell me what happened to the rest of my anonymous post? I was hoping to see it had been added to the thread by now...