Mitsukurinidae
Scapanorhynchus texanus
Goblin shark ancestor
Cretaceousuncommon
An ancestor of the modern goblin shark. Tall, narrow, awl-like teeth made for grabbing — not slicing — soft prey in deep water. The fine vertical lines on the enamel are diagnostic.
Typical size
0.5–1.25″
Trophy size
1.5″+
Age range
99–66 Ma
Body length
—
How to ID it in the field
- ▸Very tall, narrow, gently sigmoidal blade with no serrations
- ▸Look for fine vertical striations on the enamel face
- ▸Tiny lateral cusplets — sometimes worn off
- ▸Narrow bilobed root with a deep central nutrient groove
- ▸Cretolamna's cusplets are larger and more triangular
Quick reference
Shape
narrow blade
Serrations
none
Cusplets
tiny pair
Root
narrow bilobed
Color
Glossy black, often with fine vertical striations
Sample reference images
Use these visual references to compare angle, wear, and silhouette before making a final ID.
