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Submitted: September 26, 2012
Image Size: 1.7 MB
Resolution: 3150×2068
Submitted with: Sta.sh

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Camera Data

Make:Canon
Model:Canon PowerShot S50
Shutter Speed:1/318 second
Aperture:F/3.2
Focal Length:9 mm
Date Taken:Jan 3, 2008, 12:15:59 PM
Software:Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
Sensor Size:8mm

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Backscratcher of the Birdrongby *Gogosardina

Digital Art / Mixed Media / Animals & Plants

Digital tablet drawing on photomanipulated background, 2012.

A second entry for Eofish's Shark Week contest ([link] ) - my first submission was just a rehash of an existing piece so to be fair, I decided to create something from scratch. Without the benefit of my usual hand-painted components it kinda looks sketchy in places - I may fix this later.

129,000,000 years ago, Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Barremian), Kalbarri, Western Australia

In the warm seas off Eastern Gondwana, a grey nurse shark (Carcharias sp.) finds herself mobbed by juvenile plesiosaurs (Leptocleidus clemai) who rub their itchy flanks against the fish's sandpaper-like skin.

Leptocleidus clemai was a small plesiosaur (2 metre adult length) based on 2 partial skeletons from the
Birdrong Sandstone near Kalbarri, Western Australia. The depicted behaviour is based on observations of modern reef teleosts that rub against the flanks of sharks to remove parasites.

The lamniform shark genus Carcharias is a true living fossil - represented today by C. taurus, a cosmopolitan species with numerous common names (grey nurse, sand-tiger, bull, ragged-tooth etc). The fossil record for this genus extends all the way back to near the beginning of the Cretaceous, including teeth from the Birdrong Sandstone that, aside from their smaller size, are nearly identical with the modern form.

The modern grey nurse is a normally docile species that is unfortunately in decline (considered "vulnerable" globally), the combined result of commercial harvesting for it's fins and liver oil, incidental deaths in nets and trophy hunting. While protected in many parts of the world, population recovery is hampered by an extremely low rate of reproduction due to intrauterine cannibalism. Having enjoyed swimming with this species in the wild and in captivity, I can confidently state that it would be a real shame to lose this living link with the Cretaceous.

The artist is a proud supporter of Hearts for Sharks Australia - [link]

Edit - fixed the eyes on the plesiosaur facing the viewer - gave it a bit too much stereoscopic vision before.

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~ksdinoboy95 Apr 13, 2013

I love this work!!!aloha from kauaii

~seatosea Jan 28, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

There are plesiousaurs that small? The smallest I knew of was Cryptoclidus. Well, I guess you learn something new everyday.

*Gogosardina Mar 10, 2013 Professional Traditional Artist

Well, these are juveniles but Leptocleidus in general are very small - the British L. superstes is AFAIK the smallest true plesiosaurian with an adult length of about 1.5m long (these Australian L. clemai can get a bit bigger.)

Cryptoclidus is actually pretty big...

~seatosea Mar 10, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Ahh....I see. Thank you very much for your scientific input! Are you or do you have any renditions of Inioptgeryians? I really find these to be very fascinating "elasmobranchs".