PRIMEVAL: the secret files

Aetobatus Poeyi and Balistes Vegai

Aetobatus Poeyi is an extinct species of giant Eagle Ray that lived in what is now known as Cuba during the Miocene. Not much is known about these giants because of the fact that their skeletons were made from cartilage and unfortunately cartilage rarely fossilies. However what we do know about this titan of the seas is that a fully grown Aetobatus Poeyi could attain a wingspan of 10 meters or 30 feet! Making it even bigger than today's Giant Oceanic Manta Ray which can grow to have a wingspan of about 7 meters or 23 feet. Other than its size, Aetobatus Poeyi would have had a lifestyle similar to today's Eagle Rays.

Diet: Large aquatic invertebrates and possibly aquatic vertebrates that were smaller than itself.

Casualties: None.

Balistes Vegai is an extinct species of giant Triggerfish that lived in Cuba during the Miocene period. An adult male could grow to be 2 meters or 6 feet long while the female tended to be closer to 1.8 meters or around 5 feet long. The male Triggerfish of today are notorious for their bad temper, attacking anything or anyone that enters their territory. They are also famous for their bright colors and buck teeth that they use to crack open the shells of their prey or when fighting other animals. And if that wasn't enough to tell you to back off, Triggerfish have been known to be able to bite down with enough force to sever fingers, toes, earlobes and even scalps! With these traits being common in most species of modern day Triggerfish, it wouldn't be too farfetched for us to assume that Balistes Vegai probably had a similar temper and lifestyle.

Diet: Small to medium sized aquatic invertebrates.

Casualties: None, but it did manage to amputate part of a man's right foot and bit a lot of animals.

Anomaly incident: An anomaly opened in the Tubbataha Reef National Park located within the Philippines.

Not long after its appearance a large Balistes Vegai emerged from the anomaly and began to swim towards the coral reef. Soon after the giant Triggerfish left the area, a massive Aetobatus Poeyi swam through the anomaly.

Meanwhile at the ARC facility the anomaly's coordinates popped up on the monitors and with no hesitation an ARC team headed off toward the anomaly's location.

Back in the Tubbataha Reef, reports of local marine life being found with large bite marks on their fins and tails started popping up.

Worried about these reports a group of park rangers went off in search of the cause of what was making the bite marks on the animals.

Meanwhile the ARC team arrived and started looking for any possible signs of the anomaly or creatures that might have crossed through it.

It wasn't long before they encountered the rangers. After each group explained what they were doing they decided to work together in hopes that it would give them better results in their searches.

As they continued to patrol the waters the ARC team found the anomaly, but before they could report their findings to the park rangers the boat was hit by something.

As the boat's passengers began to look around for what had just hit them, anomaly researcher (****) found a large bite mark on the side of their ship. Just before he could tell the other team members about his discovery the boat was hit again and that caused him to fall over the edge and into the water.

Before (****) could climb back into the raft the angry Balistes Vegai swam at him and bit down as hard as it could on his foot, severing part of it. Luckily the rest of the ARC team was able to pull him back into the boat and treat his injuries.

Meanwhile the rangers got a message over the radio. The ARC team told them that they had found the anomaly and what had been biting everything. The rangers changed their course and started off toward the ARC team's location.

But on their way to the given coordinates, the rangers came across the Aetobatus Poeyi that was currently swimming alongside a pod of dolphins.

The rangers got their boat in between the Aetobatus Poeyi and the dolphins and then began to guide the giant Eagle Ray toward the anomaly. Upon arrival the Aetobatus Poeyi gracefully glided back through the anomaly.

After that, the ARC team and rangers began to formulate a plan on how they could get the Balistes Vegai to go through the anomaly without being bitten.

Then zoologist (********) suggested that since the giant Triggerfish went after their boat when they entered what it now considered to be its territory, than logically doing that again should cause the Balistes Vegai to chase them.

Though slightly reluctant to try her plan out the ARC team and rangers agreed that it would be the best way to get the prehistoric fish to go back through the anomaly.

They sailed through the Balistes Vegai's territory and soon the short tempered fish swam straight towards them.

With the giant Triggerfish behind them the two teams navigated their ships towards the anomaly. Right as the anomaly was about to close the two boats sailed around it, but the Balistes Vegai wasn't able to change direction fast enough and instead swam through the anomaly just as it sealed itself shut.

After that, the park rangers thanked the ARC team for the help and they then went their separate ways.