X-Xiphactinus
Variant
Overview
The X-Xiphactinus is a variant carnivore known for its aquatic aggression and unique damage profile. It excels in underwater combat, leveraging its high bite damage and mobility in water. The creature is primarily tamed for its combat utility in aquatic environments and its ability to harvest fish efficiently while ridden. It can be airlifted by Quetzal or Karkinos for fast deployment.
Spawn Locations
1 mapsThe X-Xiphactinus appears across 0 ARK maps, indicating it is not natively present in standard environments. Its spawn abundance is common, typically found in deep oceanic zones. Players may encounter it more frequently near underwater caves or thermals, which appear as hotspots on the spawn map.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Taming the X-Xiphactinus requires a knockout method. The most effective food is Superior Kibble, which provides the highest affinity and fastest taming time. Raw Mutton also works if Superior Kibble is unavailable. Use a Crossbow with Tranq Arrows or a Longneck Rifle with Tranquilizer Darts to sedate it. A Tripwire Narcotic Trap can immobilize it during the process. About 11 units of Superior Kibble are needed. The tame takes around 28 minutes and requires 76 Narcotics. Use the calculator below for your settings.
| Food | Qty | Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
 Superior KibbleBest | 6 | 15:21 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Raw Mutton | 12 | 18:01 | 73 Lvl (223) |
 Raw Prime Meat | 15 | 22:31 | 73 Lvl (223) |
 Cooked Lamb Chop | 21 | 31:28 | 71 Lvl (221) |
 Raw Meat | 43 | 1:04:31 | 62 Lvl (212) |
| +6 more in calculator→ | |||
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing the X-Xiphactinus yields Raw Fish Meat and Raw Prime Fish Meat. The Dino (Fish Harvest) tool yields the most Raw Fish Meat, while the Sickle provides the highest quantity of Raw Prime Fish Meat.
| Resource |  Pick |  Sickle | Harvest Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93%~25~17 hits | 93%~25~11 hits | 93%~25~18 hits | |
| 0%~0~17 hits | 13%~3~11 hits | 4%~1~18 hits |
Estimates based on game-extracted data (weights, quantities, harvest multipliers, damage type chains). Each harvest event independently rolls each resource - higher weight = higher drop chance. Actual yields vary with RNG.
Damage Resistances
The X-Xiphactinus is highly vulnerable to spike walls, which deal +400% damage. It also takes +120% damage from Instant HurtDinos and +55% from Melee DmgMetal RaidDino attacks. Conversely, it is completely resistant to Mining Drill harvest damage. Ranged Turrets and Melee WithProjectileImpactFX deal only half damage. Exploiting its weakness with spike walls is highly effective in base defense setups.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)12 base × 15.9 level × 4 × 1.25× wild kill × 1× server
Server Settings(Game.ini)
Official servers use non-1× defaults; the values above already reflect official rates.
| Stat | Base (Lv.1) | Wild +/Lv | Tamed +/Lv |
|---|---|---|---|
 Health | 436.5 | +87.30 | +4.00% |
 Stamina | 420.0 | +42.00 | +2.00% |
 Torpidity | 1100.0 | +66.00 | +0.00% |
 Food | 2000.0 | +200.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 300.0 | +6.00 | +0.80% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 105.0% | +5.25% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.00% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The X-Xiphactinus has specific hitbox multipliers: the Gill_L and Gill_R zones each take 1.5× damage. Targeting these areas speeds up tames or kills. All other body parts have standard damage resistance.
Tools & Guides
X-Xiphactinus Tips & Tricks
The Gill_L and Gill_R hitboxes take 1.5× damage, making them ideal targets for faster takedowns.
Spike walls exploit its +400% weakness, making them extremely effective for defense.
Use a Tripwire Narcotic Trap to immobilize it during taming, reducing escape risk.
The Consume Target ability can be used to quickly dispatch small creatures while swimming.
Its resistance to Mining Drill Harvest means resource nodes won't damage it during interaction.
This page details the X-Xiphactinus's stats, taming requirements, breeding mechanics, harvest output, combat data, and hitbox information. For precise planning, refer to the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map linked below.