The Dunkleosteus (dun-kul-Os-tee-us,)[1] also referred to as the Dunkly, or simply the Dunk, is a large, carnivorousfish. Its body plates act as a natural armor resulting in reduced damages, and its powerful jaws allow the Dunkleosteus to gather resources from underwater nodes. It was first added in ARK: Survival Evolved on the 2nd of April, 2016.
This section is intended to be an exact copy of what the survivor Helena Walker, the author of the dossiers, has written. There may be some discrepancies between this text and the in-game creature.
“
Species
Dunkleosteus loricaruptor
Time
Late Devonian
Diet
Carnivore
Temperament
Docile
Wild
Dunkleosteus loricaruptor is a very strange creature. It is a fairly large fish, covered head to tail in armored plates, with incredibly powerful jaws. It tends to eat the Island's water-dwelling crustaceans trawling the seabed, as it is not fast enough to catch most of the smaller fish.
Dunkleosteus is surprisingly combat-oriented for a fish. Its well-armored body protects it from many creatures, while its bite is strong enough to easily crush through chitinous shells.
Domesticated
Dunkleosteus is an incredibly useful fish for coastal communities. Its powerful jaws make short work of the stone and oil formations found throughout the oceanic depths. While harvesting, Dunkleosteus can defend its rider from all but the largest threats in the waters. And once it is past its prime, the Dunkleosteus itself can be harvested for a fair amount of chitin.
The Dunkleosteus is a slow, cumbersome fish that slowly wanders the depths of the ocean. It will not deter from its path to attack players, but if it is hurt by any creature (players included) or a player gets too close, it will attack without mercy. If the attacker can hold its position, the Dunkleosteus will flee.
Appearance
The Dunkleosteus is a large fish found in the ARK's oceans. While its body's physique is similar to that of a standard fish with an eel-like tail, its head makes the beast very distinct. The Dunkleosteus's head is totally armoured, except for the eyes. Where most animals have teeth, massive jagged plates of bone exist in its mouth to crush the shells and bones of its prey. These teeth are used by the creature to crush rocks and oil nodes. The Dunkleosteus is slightly larger than a Megalodon, another predator that cruises the same waters.
Color Scheme and Regions
Region 0:Body
Natural colors:
8
21
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
56
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
77
78
81
82
96
97
98
99
Region 1:Unused
This region does not show on the body.
Region 2:Unused
This region does not show on the body.
Region 3:Unused
This region does not show on the body.
Region 4:Spots
Natural colors:
8
21
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
56
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
77
78
81
82
96
97
98
99
Region 5:Head
Natural colors:
8
21
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
56
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
77
78
81
82
96
97
98
99
This section displays the Dunkleosteus's natural colors and regions. For demonstration, the regions below are colored red over an albino Dunkleosteus. The colored squares shown underneath each region's description are the colors that the Dunkleosteus will randomly spawn with to provide an overall range of its natural color scheme. Hover your cursor over a color to display its name and ID.
This information can be used to alter the Dunkleosteus's regions by entering cheat SetTargetDinoColor <ColorRegion> <ColorID> in the cheat console. For instance, cheat SetTargetDinoColor 0 6 would color the Dunkleosteus's "body" magenta.
Region 0: Body
14
19
20
21
22
23
24
28
29
Region 1 is not used for this Creature.
Region 2 is not used for this Creature.
Region 3 is not used for this Creature.
Region 4: Spots
13
14
20
22
24
26
27
33
34
35
Region 5: Head
8
14
21
23
28
32
33
36
This section displays the Dunkleosteus's natural colors and regions. For demonstration, the regions below are colored red over an albino Dunkleosteus. The colored squares shown underneath each region's description are the colors that the Dunkleosteus will randomly spawn with to provide an overall range of its natural color scheme. Hover your cursor over a color to display its name and ID.
This information can be used to alter the Dunkleosteus's regions by entering cheat SetTargetDinoColor <ColorRegion> <ColorID> in the cheat console. For instance, cheat SetTargetDinoColor 0 6 would color the Dunkleosteus's "main body" magenta.
Type in values of a wild creature to see on which stats it's emphasized. Green values on a high-level creature are very good for breeding. If you have already tamed your creature you can try to recover the breeding stats with an external tool.[2]
Dunkleosteus
The stat-calculator does not work in the mobile-view, see here for alternatives: Apps
Note that after the creature is tamed it gets bonuses on some stats depending on the taming effectiveness. This makes it hard to retrieve the levels on a tamed creature, so this tool is only for wild ones, but gives a first impression, how well the stats are distributed.
For general info about domesticating a wild creature see Taming.
KO Strategy
Lure into a cave where you can use a rifle to tranq the Dunkleosteus, requires a creature that can go on land, frogs work well with this method.
Kiting the Dunkleosteus in a circle will prevent it from hitting you, allowing a simple solo tame as it has a slow turn and is fairly slow moving. This is made much easier with some points in Oxygen.
Contrary to popular belief it does not matter where you shoot the Dunkleosteus; it will take vastly reduced damage (and consequently much less torpor) than expected whether it's shot in the body or head. If you plan to tranq a very high level Dunkleosteus it is advised to bring at least 250 arrows if you're using a primitive crossbow. As such higher-quality crossbows are recommended to reduce the endurance test that knocking out a Dunkleosteus can be.
A more efficient and less expensive way to knock one down is to just grab them with a Tusoteuthis as the Tuso will inflict torpor over time and arrows won’t need to be expended. Note: This is more time consuming method, so prepare to sit for a bit.
In the Ocean biome on Genesis: Part 1, It is possible to build a trap up against the holographic barrier of the Terrariums and use the open room inside to either tranq the Dunkleosteus with a Longneck Rifle, Electric Prods, or even a Mantis wielding a high damage Wooden Club, the latter of which may be the most effective method of applying torpor.
Torpidity-depletion: 3.46 / s, Time until all torpidity is depleted: 00:55:12
Note that the values are for optimal cases, always bring extra supplies!
For a level-dependent count of resources needed, try an external taming calculator.
This section describes how to fight against the Dunkleosteus.
General
The Dunkleosteus is a large, tank-like fish that dwells in the deeper parts of the ocean. It is slightly larger than a Megalodon, which ends up hindering it in certain situations. A poor turning radius allows any player to easily kite it around in a circle, giving time for the player to attack.
Strategy
By utilizing the large turning radius of the Dunkleosteus, the player can stay in a safe area while launching arrows with a crossbow, either to tranquilize or kill it. A large sea mount (Megalodon, Plesiosaur, Mosasaur) can be used to kill one quickly, as they have a relatively slow attack rate. It is not recommended to fight the Dunkleosteus with melee weapons, as it does great damage in a single hit.
Weaponry
Use powerful sea mounts or crossbow weaponry to kill one, or tranquilizer arrows from a crossbow to knock one out for taming. Do not attempt to punch one or whack at one, as a silly act of innocence can elevate into unfortunate loss of the player's inventory, which may or may not be obtainable after death.
Dangers
The Dunkleosteus has a lot of health and powerful bites. They sometimes emerge from nowhere, so surprising ambushes can lead to a quick death for players whose minds are focused on other topics.The Giganotosaurus is not the only one that can break stone, the Dunkleosteus can be used to besiege an under water base.
Weakness
They can be easily dodged due to their horrible turning radius and slow speed. Take the battle to them and out-maneuver the Dunkleosteus so that it cannot harm you.
Utility
Roles
Damage/War: Being the only tameable water animal that can break stone structures, the Dunkleosteus gains a valuable place in water raids. Use them as a cheap method to get into stone bases underwater. (Level up Health, Stamina, Damage and Speed)
Tank: The Dunkleosteus has 40% damage reduction from projectiles damage, this in combination with its good base Health makes it a good option to tank turrets on moderate quantities. (Level up Health)
Taming Tank: Thanks to its damage reduction, the Dunkleosteus could be used for taming creatures like Tusoteuthis because it can easily resist its attacks while the taming is in progress. Also it can just tank other creatures damage while the player is shooting tranqs to them. (Level up Health)
Gatherer: Excellent at collecting large amounts of Oil and Stone from underwater nodes, and Metal, Obsidian and Crystal whenever those nodes are available for marine enviroments. It will also harvest Black Pearls from dead Eurypterids. (Level up Weight, Damage and Speed)
Ultimate Marine Collector: On maps like Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island or Fjordur the ocean biome has a lot of different map elements that allows the gathering of resources like Stone, Flint, Metal, Fungal Wood or Rare Mushroom underwater, and most of those resources are obtainable by the Dunkleosteus, allowing the sustainable life under the sea with hardly the need to go out for basic resources. (Level up Stamina, Weight, Damage and Speed)
NOTE: On ARK: Survival Ascended the maps that have ocean got a lot of updates on that biome with more resources in them, allowing the Dunkleosteus to be a more than decent option to harvest on the new oceans.
Transport: With with an outstanding base Weight, the Dunkelosteus makes for a decent pack animal in the water, as they are a lot easier to tame than the Mosasaurus, though they don't have a platform saddle nor the Mosa's damage/health, however, the Dunkleosteus inventory reduces the weight for some resources (See below), making it an excellent option to transport those materials underwater. (Level up Stamina, Weight and Speed)
Chitin Source: Currently the Dunkleosteus is one of the creatures that drops the most Chitin when it dies, this makes it an interesting option to kill in case that the tribe needs massive amounts of chitin.
Even though the Dossier reports it being docile, the creature actually acts as territorial, though it's range is quite limited.
Dunkleosteus had one of the strongest bite forces of any living creature. Its bite was stronger than a crocodile or a modern great white shark.
Its base damage of 60 per bite could be a reference to this fact, being just 2 points lower than the damage of a Rex.
Unlike the bottom shark in game version of Dunkleosteus, the real life counterpart was an apex predator that hunted most other under water creatures during it's time in the late Devonian period, around 358–382 million years ago.
Despite appearances, Dunkleosteus has no true 'teeth' to speak of. The blades seen within its mouth are actually extensions of the jawbone that are sharpened by grinding against one another.
Its name means, approximately: "Dunkle's Bone armor breaker" (in honor of David Dunkle; osteus, Greek for bone;[4] lorica, Latin for (chest-)armor, ruptor, Latin for breaker).
Since 264.3, the Dunkleosteus now harvest Metal, before that change the Dunkleosteus can only harvest Stone from the metal nodes.
Dunkleosteus don't produce Feces, much like other sea creatures.
Dunkleosteus is the only water creature that can break stone (Both resource and structures).
It is common to hear that the Dunkleosteus is the equivalent of the Ankylosaurus on the ocean, this is because both creatures play a similar role in their respective environments when it comes to collecting resources.
He is also referred to as marine Argentavis due to its weight reduction in many heavy materials. So technically the Dunkleosteus can make the roles of both creatures underwater.
Although Dunkleosteus has a 75% weight reduction in Obsidian in its inventory, it is rare to find obsidian underwater, so this reduction in practice only serves for underwater transport.
Yes 
Region 0:
Region 4:
Region 5:
Region 0:
Region 1:
Region 2:
Region 3:
Region 4:
Region 5:
ARK: Survival Evolved on the 2nd of April, 2016.
Health
Stamina
Oxygen
Food
Weight
Melee Damage
Movement Speed
Torpidity
Black Pearl
Crystal
Metal
Obsidian
Oil
Stone
Level 1
Superior Kibble
Raw Mutton
Cooked Lamb Chop
Raw Prime Meat
Cooked Prime Meat
Raw Prime Fish Meat
Raw Meat
Cooked Prime Fish Meat
Cooked Meat
Raw Fish Meat
Cooked Fish Meat
× 115; 
× 47; 
× 13; 
× 8; 
× 6; 
× 3
Superior Kibble:
2 × 
Citronal, 1 × 
Prime Meat Jerky, 1 × 
Large Egg, 5 × 
Fiber, 2 × 
Rare Mushroom, 1 × 
Sap, 1 × 
Water
Health makes it a good option to tank turrets on moderate quantities. (Level up Health)
Tusoteuthis because it can easily resist its attacks while the taming is in progress. Also it can just tank other creatures damage while the player is shooting tranqs to them. (Level up Health)
Oil and 
Stone from underwater nodes, and 
Metal, 
Obsidian and 
Crystal whenever those nodes are available for marine enviroments. It will also harvest 
Black Pearls from dead 
Eurypterids. (Level up Weight, Damage and Speed)
Flint, 
Fungal Wood or 
ARK: Survival Ascended the maps that have ocean got a lot of updates on that biome with more resources in them, allowing the Dunkleosteus to be a more than decent option to harvest on the new oceans.
Weight, the Dunkelosteus makes for a decent pack animal in the water, as they are a lot easier to tame than the 
Mosasaurus, though they don't have a platform saddle nor the Mosa's damage/health, however, the Dunkleosteus inventory reduces the weight for some resources (See below), making it an excellent option to transport those materials underwater. (Level up Stamina, Weight and Speed)
Chitin when it dies, this makes it an interesting option to kill in case that the tribe needs massive amounts of chitin.
Wood
Rex.
Feces, much like other sea creatures.
Ankylosaurus on the ocean, this is because both creatures play a similar role in their respective environments when it comes to collecting resources.
Argentavis due to its weight reduction in many heavy materials. So technically the Dunkleosteus can make the roles of both creatures underwater.
Torpor.
Fish Meat instead of regular 
Meat.
