<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

In 1963 (and translated into English in 1968), Bernard Heuvelmans followed up his seminal cryptozoology book, On the Track of Unknown Animals with In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents.

Based on an analysis of 587 sightings (each described briefly in the book), he devised a set of possible hypothetical creatures that could account for the descriptions given.

He took a large number of sightings and placed them into non-unknown animal sightings: 121 were "Vague and therefore doubtful," fifty-six were likely to be due to hoaxes, fifty-two were "Certain or probable" mistakes, forty-one were "Ambiguous periscopes," and nine were "Incomprehensible, unclassifiable, or very suspect."

The remaining ones are briefly described below. The names should not be taken as indicative of actual taxonomic connections, but are more descriptive of the morphology and behaviour.

Behaviour and habitat is considered in the separation of the sightings, as well as appearance.

Contents 1 Long-necked 2 Merhorse 3 Many-humped 4 Super-otters 5 Many-finned 6 Super-eels 7 Marine saurians 8 Yellow-bellies 9 Fathers-of-all-the-turtles

Long-necked

• 48 certain and 34 probable sightings

Its long, skinny neck can be held vertically out of the water. Its small eyes are one of the prime differentiations from the Merhorse. It has four flippers.

Classification: Heuvelmans listed this one as certainly a mammal, probably a pinniped (the classification that includes seals and sea lions)

Proposed name: Megalotoria longicollis ('the big sea-lion with a long neck')

Merhorse

• 37 certain and 34 probable sightings

Similar to the long-necked, it can hold its head out of the water on a long neck. It has very prominent eyes. Other writers have suggested that these two types may be the same, and represent sexual dimorphism or juvenile and adult individuals.

Classification: Definite mammal, possible pinniped

Proposed name: Halshippus olai-magni ("the Sea-horse of Olaus Magnus")

Many-humped

• 33 certain, 26 probable sightings

This is a very long-creature with humps on its back, that may be mistaken for loops of a snake-like animal. The tail is horizontally flattened, which is more mammal-like than fish-like.

Classification: Definte mammal, likely cetacean (but possible sirenian)

Proposed name: Plurigibbbosus novae-angliae ('that-with-many-humps of New England')

Super-otters

• 13 certain and 15 probable sightings

Very large (as large as the biggest whales) and roughly shaped like an otter, it has a neck and an unflattened tail. It may appear to have humps, but no dorsal appendages (such as fins).

Classification: Mammal, possibly an Archaecoceti

Proposed name: Hyperhydra edgei ("Egede's Super-otter")

Many-finned

• 20 certain and 6 probable sightings

These reports describe an animal with many projections along both lateral surfaces, giving an appearance as if the animal had many flippers. The back appears to be like bony plate. The animals "blows," like a whale

Classification: definite mammal, possible cetacean

Proposed name: Cetioscolopendra aeliani ('Aelians' cetacean centipede')

Super-eels

• 12 certain and 11 probable sightings

Heuvelmans finds this to be a more heterogenous group than some of the others. They do all appear to be long and seem limbless.

Probable eel, but likely to be more than one species, which may also include Apoda.

Marine saurians

• 4 certain and 5 probable sightings

The marine saurian appears similar to a very large crocodilian.

Classification: Likely surviving thalattosuchian, a prehistoric marine crocodile. Might also be a mosasaur.

Yellow-bellies

• 3 certain and 3 probable sightings

This is a tadpole shaped animal, which is typically a striking yellow colour.

Fathers-of-all-the-turtles

• 4 probable sightings

Heuvelmans doubted that this was actually a distinct type, but it looked like a gigantic turtle.