What aggressive feeding strategy does the swallowed Protosphyraena illustrate for Xiphactinus?
Answer
Aggressive, gap-limited feeding strategy
The observation that a *Xiphactinus* specimen appeared to have swallowed another large fish, *Protosphyraena*, whole, provides direct insight into its feeding ecology. This strongly suggests an aggressive, gap-limited feeding strategy. This means the predator relied on its powerful jaws and sharp, grasping teeth to secure and rapidly engulf large, single prey items that could pass entirely through its expansive mouth gape, rather than using specialized methods for shearing or crushing smaller, more fragmented food sources.
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