Many-finned sea serpent
| Grouping | Cryptid |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Sea monster |
| Other name(s) | Cetacean Centipede, Con rit, Great Sea-Centipede |
| Habitat | Tropical/Subtropical Waters |
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The many-finned sea serpent is an unverified species or group of species of marine animals which seem to possess numerous fins along their sides or backs. The creatures are supposedly capable of growing to enormous lengths; around 45 m (148 ft) for one such creature sighted near Algeria. In his book, On the Nature of Animals (second century CE), Greek military writer Claudius Aelianus reported that these sea serpents were known to beach themselves. He also reported that witnesses had described such creatures as having lobster-like tails and large nostrils with hair.
Alternative names[edit]
In the sixteenth century, the creatures had been referred to as "cetacean centipedes" by Guillaume Rondelet. Even earlier, Aelian dubbed the animals the "Great Sea-Centipedes". In Vietnam, such creatures are called con rit or "'conrit'", which is Vietnamese for "centipede".[citation needed]
Sightings[edit]
In 1883, a dead specimen of an armored sea serpent was supposedly observed on a beach in Hongay, Along Bay, Vietnam. Witness Tran Van Con claimed that the carcass was 18 meters long, and was covered with 60-cm armored segments throughout its length. Attached to each segment was a pair of filament-like structures, each of them being 70 cm long. The body was dark brown above, and light yellow on its underside. The headless carcass was later towed out to sea. The alleged incident was reported 38 years after the fact to Dr. A. Krempf.
In 1899, the ship HMS Narcissus was traveling near Cape Falcon, Algeria, when the sailors aboard sighted a "sea monster". Estimated at 45 meters in length, the animal possessed an "immense number of fins", which propelled it through the water with enough speed to keep pace with the ship. The creature was observed for 30 minutes.
See also[edit]
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