THE SHARKS

Hybodont shark
Hybodus sp. (Agassiz)

Age - Cretaceous  Commonality - Scarce
 

The Cretaceous Hybodont ( Hybodus sp. ) shark teeth are easy to miss, they are small, usually running less then 1/4 inch in length and normally missing the root and cusplets. They are easily mistaken for well worn, broken teeth and tossed back in the water. The Hybodus sp.  is easy to identify with a triangular central cusp that is rather broad at the base with a complete cutting edge. Most reference material refers to the vertical wrinkles on the crown. However, the majority of teeth recovered are too badly worn to distinguish these wrinkles. Worn teeth may appear almost completely smooth with some growth cracks to highly ridged where the enamel has worn off. Along with the teeth, dorsal fin spines and cephalic claspers can also be found. The claspers, which are only present on the male was used to hold the female during mating.
 Note: Case and Cappetta list two species of Hybodus  found in New Jersey; Hybodus novojerseyensis and an unnamed species referred to as Hybodus sp. #2. Most specimens recovered from the streams of Monmouth County, besides missing their roots and cusplets, are too badly worn to differentiate between these two species. For reference I’ve included a separate page for the named species Hybodus novojerseyensis.    

A side view showing the cutting edge.

 

A group of stream worn teeth, these teeth average about 1/4 of an inch in length.
The triangular shape and extension of the heel are key points for identification
Monmouth County, NJ
 

A partial dorsal fin spine. Note the ornamentation of small bumps which is characteristic of the Hybodus sp. spine.

 

Return to top of page