Nicely Prepared Enchodus Jaw Section With Vertebrae

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.

It comes from the massive phosphate deposits in the Oulad Abdoun Basin near Khouribga, Morocco. These deposits are mined for phosphate, one of Morocco's biggest exports. The fossils are collected as a byproduct of the mining operations, saving them from certain destruction by the rock crusher.