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237-million-year-old fossils reveal a bizarre armored sea amphibian

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In short

Named *Gerrothorax maritimus*, the Late Triassic creature reached nearly three feet in length and matched the mass of a modern giant salamander. Its disc-shaped body was encased in heavy bony armor that likely offered protection from apex predators such as ichthyosaurs. Skeletal evidence indicates it acted as an ambush predator, resting on the seafloor to suck in passing prey much like modern wobbegong carpet sharks.

Key points

  • None of the more than 8,000 modern amphibian species can survive permanently in saltwater…: None of the more than 8,000 modern amphibian species can survive permanently in saltwater environments.
  • Researchers determined the creature operated as a seafloor ambush predator that captured…: Researchers determined the creature operated as a seafloor ambush predator that captured prey using suction.
  • The study provides the first convincing fossil evidence of an amphibian successfully tran…: The study provides the first convincing fossil evidence of an amphibian successfully transitioning to an entirely marine lifestyle.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Date:

- November 10, 2026

- Source:

- University of California - Davis

- Summary:

- A bizarre, heavily armored amphibian roamed the oceans 237 million years ago, despite the fact that modern amphibians cannot survive entirely in saltwater. Discovered in China, the giant salamander-sized creature may be the first known amphibian to have adapted to a fully marine existence.

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A remarkable fossil discovery in China has revealed an ancient amphibian that lived entirely in the ocean, something no amphibian alive today is known to do. The unusual animal, named Gerrothorax maritimus, had a broad, flattened body protected by bony armor and was roughly the size of a giant salamander. Researchers believe it spent much of its life on the seafloor, waiting to ambush passing prey.

The discovery comes from an international team at the University of California, Davis, Peking University, and the Geological Museum of Guizhou. Their findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, are based on two exceptionally well-preserved skeletons dating back nearly 237 million years to the Late Triassic period.

Both fossils were uncovered…

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