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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 28

Here's a little guide (also inspired by Knuppe's formation work) of the common and scientific names of each animal I illustrated!

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 28

#SharkWeek BONUS!
The cast of sharks and rays in the Marine Protected Areas of southern California hold a special place in my heart and to celebrate my last year of university here I spent weeks on this mural (inspired by Joschua Knuppe) of the native species I've come to love!

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 26

#SharkWeek2025 Day 7: Dasmyliobatis thomyorkei
Despite appearing like a generic ray, Dasmyliobatis represents an intermediary state between the eagle rays and whiptail rays (or what many consider stingrays). The holotype was discovered in Italian rocks dating to the Eocene.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 24

#SharkWeek2025 Day 5: Galagadon nordquistae
Named after its teeth that resemble the spaceships in Galaga, this holotype of this freshwater carpet shark was famously discovered near the remains of Sue the T.rex. Unlike the giant dinosaur, Galagadon only was about a foot or so long.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 24

#sharkweek2025 Day 4: Rolfodon goliath
An extinct relative of modern frilled sharks, R.goliath was discovered to be from the Late Cretaceous of Angola, and lives up to its species name: potentially growing up to 6 meters (or almost 20 feet) long!

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 22

#SharkWeek2025 Day 3: Metopacanthus granulatus
Despite looking like it has two mouths, the upper appendage of this Jurassic chimaera relative is likely a head clasper, which is used in holding onto females during reproduction, supported with en elongated cartilaginous rostrum!

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 21

#SharkWeek2025 Day 2: Iniopteryx rushlaui
This strange animal superficially resembles flying fish, but is actually more related to the modern day chimaera. Found in warm shallow Carboniferous seas, this fish grew just over a foot long, and used its large pectoral fins for locomotion.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Jul 20

#SharkWeek2025 Day 1: Acanthodes bronii
Part of the acanthodiians, or "spiny sharks", this Permian fish is believed to provide insight into the common ancestors of both cartilaginous and bony fish. Acanthodes was found to be toothless and thus could have been a suspension feeder!

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 26

Some sketches I did while watching the new #WalkingWithDinosaurs2025

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 24

A practice sketch of a fisherman catching a small Clavusodens.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 23

Traskasaura sandrae, a newly described genus and species of basal elasmosaurid, from Early Cretaceous British Columbia that shares several morphological convergences with the later derived aristonectiines.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 22

Gadusaurus, a recently described species of ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic of Portugal.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 14

A sketch of the recently published paper's describing of Pararhincodon torquis, a stem-parascylliid related to modern day collared carpetsharks, found in the Cretaceous Chalk of the UK.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · May 12

An illustration of the Eocene fish, Dibango volans. A fish of unknown placement, it's anomalous features appear similar to that of larval teleost fishes, but had levels of ossification on the bones akin to adults, leading to a possibility of a paedomorphic fish.

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cjsea.bsky.social @cjsea.bsky.social · Mar 25

A practice sketch of a breaching Helicoprion, also known as the buzzsaw shark, despite being a holocephalid, or being related to modern day chimaera.

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Reposted

Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social · Mar 21

🌊🌿There's a whole world of forests beneath the waves. This #InternationalDayofForests, we're celebrating Scripps Oceanography researchers who study these underwater ecosystems to understand their role in carbon storage, marine biodiversity and coastal resilience. 🧵 ⬇️

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Reposted

Darren Naish @tetzoo.bsky.social · Mar 21

#ArtBoost today is for CJSEA @cjsea.bsky.social, marine biology student and scientific illustrator at Uni California San Diego, a big fan of chondrichthyans (sharks and kin), archosaurs and other beasts, and who's doing really nice portraits and environmental scenes. Also met Tiktaalik recently!

The petalodont Clavusodens in dark water.