The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[Jose S.M.]

Hi! I was checking your collection, it's really nice, I love the extant fishes you have, I'm a biology student and I've worked with fishes mostly. Also love the commentary in the pics are very funny (like the tsintaosaurus one). And I didn't knew there ewas a favorite Saurolophus, it's probably hard to get but i need it now lol.

[Halichoeres]

It looks so worried

Ha ha, that's funny. He does seem pretty anxious.

Hi! I was checking your collection, it's really nice, I love the extant fishes you have, I'm a biology student and I've worked with fishes mostly. Also love the commentary in the pics are very funny (like the tsintaosaurus one). And I didn't knew there ewas a favorite Saurolophus, it's probably hard to get but i need it now lol.

Thanks! I'm also a biology student working with fishes! In fact, some of the animals whose DNA I sequence are from Costa Rica. The Saurolophus is indeed pretty hard to find--I got lucky. I think the next best one is probably the one from DinoRiders...

[Jose S.M.]

Thanks! I'm also a biology student working with fishes! In fact, some of the animals whose DNA I sequence are from Costa Rica. The Saurolophus is indeed pretty hard to find--I got lucky. I think the next best one is probably the one from DinoRiders...

Really!! that's cool! What species from here are you working on?

[Halichoeres]

Thanks! I'm also a biology student working with fishes! In fact, some of the animals whose DNA I sequence are from Costa Rica. The Saurolophus is indeed pretty hard to find--I got lucky. I think the next best one is probably the one from DinoRiders...

Really!! that's cool! What species from here are you working on?

Astyanax, Roeboides, Brycon, Ctenolucius, and a handful of other characiform genera. They were collected by others, as I haven't yet had the privilege of visiting your country. But I have collected in Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

[Jose S.M.]

Thanks! I'm also a biology student working with fishes! In fact, some of the animals whose DNA I sequence are from Costa Rica. The Saurolophus is indeed pretty hard to find--I got lucky. I think the next best one is probably the one from DinoRiders...

Really!! that's cool! What species from here are you working on?

Astyanax, Roeboides, Brycon, Ctenolucius, and a handful of other characiform genera. They were collected by others, as I haven't yet had the privilege of visiting your country. But I have collected in Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

I worked with Astyanax last year, my graduation work, but i've mostly worked with cichlids. I hope you can come here someday too!!

[DinoLord]

But I have collected in Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

I knew you were an ichthyologist but never realized you've actually been collecting. Nab some Paracheirodon simulans and P. axelrodi for me if you get a chance!

[Halichoeres]

But I have collected in Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

I knew you were an ichthyologist but never realized you've actually been collecting. Nab some Paracheirodon simulans and P. axelrodi for me if you get a chance!

Well, hope you don't need them alive! The terms of the permits only allow me to take tissue samples or carcasses out of the country, depending on which country. Also, now that I think about it, I've only ever collected on the wrong side of the Andes. If I ever get to the Orinoco basin, I'll at least try to take some pictures for you.

I worked with Astyanax last year, my graduation work, but i've mostly worked with cichlids. I hope you can come here someday too!!

That's fantastic! Astyanax forms the core of my dissertation. I hope I can get to Costa Rica too!

[DinoLord]

Well, hope you don't need them alive! The terms of the permits only allow me to take tissue samples or carcasses out of the country, depending on which country. Also, now that I think about it, I've only ever collected on the wrong side of the Andes. If I ever get to the Orinoco basin, I'll at least try to take some pictures for you.

That's a shame. But some biotope pictures would be nice. I always love seeing the environments from which aquarium fish come from.

I wonder how many (actinopterygian) fish figures you have? I've seen some assorted posts throughout the thread but figure you must have a good deal. I know the Japanese companies put out quite a few.

[Halichoeres]

Well, hope you don't need them alive! The terms of the permits only allow me to take tissue samples or carcasses out of the country, depending on which country. Also, now that I think about it, I've only ever collected on the wrong side of the Andes. If I ever get to the Orinoco basin, I'll at least try to take some pictures for you.

That's a shame. But some biotope pictures would be nice. I always love seeing the environments from which aquarium fish come from.

I wonder how many (actinopterygian) fish figures you have? I've seen some assorted posts throughout the thread but figure you must have a good deal. I know the Japanese companies put out quite a few.

Whoops, missed this post. I actually don't have very many actinopts. With the exception of the Colorata box set, I've never really sought them out. Almost nobody makes prehistoric actinopts, but I would be all over them if they did. Most of the extant fish I own (Kaiyodo Animatales, mostly) I've gotten incidentally when purchasing other things like eBay Dinotales lots. There are some nice ones out there, but between the prehistorics, my book collection, and my Lego collection, I have quite enough shelf space dedicated to frivolity already.

[Halichoeres]

More Cretaceous ornithischians!


Starlux Acanthopholis. Possibly a nomen dubium, and really shows its age (released 1978 and hence one of the few figures I own older than I). About 1:35.


Battat Edmontonia. There's something sort of squishy about this sculpt, but it's still the best one out there. Replaced the CollectA version. About 1:30.


Starlux Scolosaurus. Recently resurrected from synonymy with Euoplocephalus, and during the interim nobody made anything by this name. Reflects the mistaken idea that its club had spikes, like the world's nastiest mace. About 1:50.


Imagination Generation Silvisaurus. One of many thyreophoran genera that no respectable company has attempted. This, um, very conservatively colored specimen came in a set with some standards and some weirdos like a horrendous Herrerasaurus (but labeled Ischisaurus, a subjective junior synonym). About 1:30-1:35.


Battat Maiasaura. Still the best adult Maiasaura around, although I like the new paint job better and will be eager to pick it up when it's released. This one replaced the Carnegie version. About 1:40.


Battat Parasaurolophus (Terra). Like most of the Terra line, a nicer color scheme than the originals. Replaced the somewhat emaciated Favorite Series 2 version. About 1:40.


Kaiyodo Parasaurolophus (juvenile). I don't usually collect babies, but when Kaiyodo does it it's hard to say no. As near as I can tell, this is based on specimens that would make this about 1:25-1:30 scale.


Kanna Dinosaur Centre Tsintaosaurus from Expo 2016. Slightly old-fashioned crest, but otherwise a beautiful sculpt. Replaced the phallic CollectA rendition. About 1:45.


Planeta DeAgostini Hadrosaurus. For being the standard bearer of an entire family of dinosaurs, this genus is attempted very rarely. This is one of the better figures from its line, although it definitely has its flaws. For now I'm happy to have it on my shelf. About 1:40.

[Halichoeres]

Ornithodirans (and one synapsid) of the Cretaceous!

First, the synapsid:

Repenomamus from Jetoar's Paleo-Creatures series. Jetoar takes requests, and acquits himself well! This guy is about 1:10.


This is "Beakbash," billed as a Criorhynchus, part of Mattel's Xtractaurs action figure line. Only a couple people still argue for the validity of Criorhynchus, and all of its nominal species have been dealt out to other genera, mostly to Coloborhynchus, though the type is a junior objective synonym of Ornithocheirus (i.e. the same species and thus specimen is the type for both genera). On my shelf it's Coloborhynchus, and as such is about 1:15.


"Downpour" the Caulkicephalus from The Good Dinosaur by Tomy. There's also a big action figure version, but adding a bunch of joints to a design this stylized doesn't do much to improve its appearance, so I'm content with this small PVC figurine until someone makes a decent version of the genus. About 1:15-1:20.


The unspecified pterosaur from Safari Ltd. I see it billed as Anhanguera sometimes, but if I'm not mistaken it was originally intended to represent a close relative from Morocco, which is regarded variously as a genus in its own right (Siroccopteryx) or a species of Coloborhynchus. I think the argument for the distinctiveness of Siroccopteryx is plausible, so I keep a representative on my shelf. It's about 1:20. I was mistaken. This figure is modeled after an unnamed relative of Anhanguera. Don't hold your breath on this one being fully described soon, but it's still a reasonable stand-in for either Anhanguera or Siroccopteryx.


Another one from The Good Dinosaur, but not by Tomy. This appears to be from Disney's in-house manufacturing arm and is made in Vietnam, maybe the only one in my collection that can claim that. It's "Thunderclap" the Nyctosaurus, and it's about 1:20.


I bought this Bullyland figure for the fish (c.f. Ischyrhiza) it came with, but it's a fine representation of Geosternbergia (or Pteranodon sternbergia, as you like). It's very large, about 1:20.


Kaiyodo Pteranodon (Dinotales 4). I went through a lot of Pteranodon longiceps figures before realizing this one was close enough to 1:40 (really more like 1:35). I took a long time to come to that conclusion because I didn't realize that it's got a huge footprint relative to other Kaiyodo figures. This replaced the Takara Ania version, although I kept the coelacanth that came with it.

A couple pterosaur group shots:

The 1:35-1:45 gang. See how big that Pteranodon is compared to the Tupandactylus, which is in roughly the same plane?


The 1:15-1:30 gang. I reckon everyone can find a known size reference in this photo.


Playskool Definitely Dinosaurs Ultrasaurus (nomen dubium). The only one from this line that I have, because I'm a sucker for big-ass sauropods. On its head is my smallest figure, the ichthyodectid that came with the hideous Bandai Pteranodon.


I mean, just look at this thing. It's about 1:17 based on the very few elements known, but hard to say for sure because the real thing probably didn't look much like a Brachiosaurus. It has ingenious leg articulation that lets you move the legs into any biologically plausible position without preventing the feet from resting flat on the floor.


CollectA Daxiatitan, a sauropod figure you can take seriously. I like CollectA's last few sauropods, but I sorta wish they were all in the Deluxe line. Still, this one is at least bigger than some of their previous dwarfs (like the 1:90 Rebbachisaurus). About 1:50-1:55.


Finally this little oddity, Aeolosaurus from Lontic.


The Aeolosaurus is part of this playset, and I had guessed from photos I'd seen that it was bigger, using the Hypsilophodon in the center foreground as a scale reference.


It's a mirror image of this Hypsilophodon (purple and green in the center), but I didn't know it came in (at least) two sizes. The one in the playset picture is maybe half the height.


The Aeolosaurus is at a tiny scale, about 1:115, even though it was one of the smaller titanosaurs at perhaps 14 meters. If I didn't even keep the UHA Opisthocoelicaudia because it was too small, I'm certainly not going to hang on to this. Look for it and the other Lontics in my trade thread before long.

The moral of today's story is that I will let a pterosaur or sauropod join my collection on the flimsiest of pretexts, but 1:115 is just too small.

[Jose S.M.]

Some nice additions you got! I like the Daxiatitan a lot, probably going to get it soon. And it's about time for me to start with pterosaurs and marine reptiles. Jetoar's figure is great and very cute!

[Silvanusaurus]

Is that a Baryonyx there, or am I mistaken? If it is, I'll have to track one down for my collection.

[DinoLord]

Nice risers; where'd you get them? I've found some similar ones in the past but they're very slippery.

Also, do you happen to have scale measurements for the WWD Toyway Allosaurus, Liopleurodon, Polacanthus, Tyrannosaurus, or Utahraptor?

[Libraraptor]

I enjoy strolling through your collection!

[Jetoar]

Thank you for showing my figure  .

[Halichoeres]

Some nice additions you got! I like the Daxiatitan a lot, probably going to get it soon. And it's about time for me to start with pterosaurs and marine reptiles. Jetoar's figure is great and very cute!

Yes, I'm very fond of Mesozoic mammals and they are not often made!

I enjoy strolling through your collection!

Me too, but in a more literal sense.

Nice risers; where'd you get them? I've found some similar ones in the past but they're very slippery.

Also, do you happen to have scale measurements for the WWD Toyway Allosaurus, Liopleurodon, Polacanthus, Tyrannosaurus, or Utahraptor?

I got the risers on Amazon. How do you mean slippery? I haven't had any problems with them, but in general I don't display anything on them that's prone to toppling.

The only one of those figures that I own is the Polacanthus, which is about 1:20.

Thank you for showing my figure  .

Thank you for making it!

Is that a Baryonyx there, or am I mistaken? If it is, I'll have to track one down for my collection.

The tiny one at the upper right is a Baryonyx, but the larger one on the left is a Suchomimus, with a crude fish in its jaws. You can have either or both of these if you want them.

[Silvanusaurus]

Is that a Baryonyx there, or am I mistaken? If it is, I'll have to track one down for my collection.

The tiny one at the upper right is a Baryonyx, but the larger one on the left is a Suchomimus, with a crude fish in its jaws. You can have either or both of these if you want them.

I would be interested in both actually, is a hypsilophodon also available?

[Sim]

I just noticed the two Papo Pteranodon in the background of the packaging.  I wasn't sure whether I find them being there funny or sad, but now I think it's both.

[DinoLord]

I got the risers on Amazon. How do you mean slippery? I haven't had any problems with them, but in general I don't display anything on them that's prone to toppling.

When I used similar risers the figures (Dinotales and other Kaiyodos) always toppled over. Either the material was slippery or the risers weren't fully horizontal.