5.2" Enchodus Jaw Section - Extinct Fanged Fish

Enchodus Jaw Section - Extinct Fanged Fish #10021

Enchodus flourished during the Upper Cretaceous and was small to medium in size. One of the genus' most notable attributes are the large "fangs" at the front of the upper and lower jaws and on the palatine bones, leading to its misleading nickname "saber-toothed herring" among fossil hunters and paleoichthyologists. These fangs, along with a long sleek body and large eyes, suggest Enchodus was a predatory species.

Artist's reconstruction of Enchodus. By Dmitry Bogdanov, Creative Commons License

While individual teeth of Enchodus are very common fossils, jaw sections, particularly ones with multiple teeth still associated are quite rare. In fact, just like with the fake Mosasaurus jaws I've seen several fake specimens on the market using real fossil teeth with fake bone and matrix. This one is the real deal and is 5.2" long and has a half dozen associated teeth.

SPECIES

Enchodus sp.

AGE

Upper Cretaceous

LOCATION

Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco

FORMATION

Phosphate Deposits

SIZE

5.2" long

5.2" Enchodus Jaw Section - Extinct Fanged Fish

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