ARK: Survival Evolved Dunkleosteus Species Guide - How to Tame, Locations, & More

ARK’s massive library of creatures has beings that don’t only exist on land but also underwater. One particular creature worth mentioning in ARK: Survival Evolved is Dunkleosteus. Since it’s a rare creature, it’s wise not to lose sight of it, especially if you want to tame one. So, keep reading to learn more about this large fish.

What is the Dunkleosteus in ARK: Survival Evolved?

The Dunkleosteus in ARK: Survival Evolved is a rare creature in The Island. You’ll likely find this underwater creature at the far ends of this ARK’s map. Apart from The Island, other maps where you can find Dunkleosteus are Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, The Center, and Genesis: Part 2. However, seeing this creature in these regions is still reasonably rare. Thankfully, you can spot a Dunkleosteus from afar, thanks to its massive size for a fish. It also looks like a modern-day fish but with an eel-like tail. This creature is also slow and typically wanders at the deepest depths of bodies of water. So, you should have minimal problems chasing after it if you find one.

Base Stats and Growth

• Health: 710 base value. +142 per level increase for wild units.
• Stamina: 200 base value. +20 per level increase for wild units.
• Oxygen: 150 base value. +15 per level increase for wild units.
• Food: 2,000 base value. +200 per level increase for wild units.
• Weight: 910 base value. +18.2 per level increase for wild units.
• Melee Damage: No base value. +3 per level increase for wild units.
• Movement Speed: 100% base value.
• Torpidity: 1,150 base value. +69 per level increase for wild units.

Fighting the Dunkleosteus

Thankfully, the Dunkleosteus in ARK: Survival Evolved is a docile creature. That means you can be as near to it as possible without spiking its aggression. But if you want to kill one, take advantage of its large size and poor turning radius. Stick to one of its sides and follow its turning direction. Use this kiting technique with a good melee or range weapon, and you should have little to no trouble defeating it. However, the Dunkleosteus has a reasonably large health pool. So, it may still take a while before you can take down this underwater creature. Tip: Check out our ARK Leveling Guide for a section on crafting the Scuba Gear if you’re having trouble fighting the Dunkleosteus and other underwater creatures because of the lack of oxygen.

Taming the Dunkleosteus

Like fighting the Dunkleosteus in ARK: Survival Evolved, you must prepare for an underwater challenge to domesticate this creature. Note that the knockout method is the standard way of taming it. However, this technique can be easier than intended by following certain steps. First, lure a wild Dunkleosteus into a cave by firing a Tranquilizer. The Rifle is an excellent weapon for this part of the process. Next, swim to a nearby cave and continue firing Tranquilizers at it. Eventually, you’ll knock out the creature, allowing you to access its inventory. Here, feed the Dunkleosteus its preferred food options, which are the following:

• Preferred Kibble: Superior Kibble
• Preferred Food: Raw Mutton

If you run out of these items, you can also feed a Dunkleosteus with the following items as you’re domesticating it:

• Cooked Fish Meat
• Cooked Lamb Chop
• Cooked Meat
• Cooked Prime Fish Meat
• Cooked Prime Meat
• Raw Fish Meat
• Raw Meat
• Raw Prime Meat

Dunkleosteus Utility

The Dunkleosteus can take on different roles. Its responsibilities are also quite versatile, ranging from combat to transport. In particular, here are some of the tasks you can assign to your tamed Dunkleosteus:

• Stone Breaker: The Dunkleosteus is the only tameable water creature in ARK: Survival Evolved that can destroy stone structures, making it a valuable ally in water raids.
• Resource Gatherer: While out of combat, the Dunkleosteus can harvest various resources while underwater, including Oil, Stone, Metal, and Black Pearl
• Transporter: Its reasonably large maximum weight capacity makes the Dunkleosteus a great option to transport goods through large bodies of water.