Anacoracidae
Squalicorax kaupi
Crow shark
Cretaceouscommon
The 'crow shark' was a Cretaceous opportunist — a scavenger that left bite marks on hadrosaur and mosasaur bones across the Western Interior Seaway. Its leaf-shaped, coarsely serrated teeth are the everyday currency of New Jersey's Cretaceous creek beds.
Typical size
0.4–1″
Trophy size
1.2″+
Age range
99–66 Ma
Body length
—
How to ID it in the field
- ▸Leaf or shark-fin silhouette with a strongly hooked distal cusp
- ▸Coarse, even serrations along both edges all the way to the tip
- ▸Asymmetric root — flatter on one side than the other
- ▸Almost always glossy jet black against tan creek gravel
- ▸S. pristodontus is larger and broader; S. falcatus is taller and narrower
Quick reference
Shape
serrated leaf
Serrations
coarse
Cusplets
none
Root
asymmetric
Color
Glossy black to dark brown; cream root
Sample reference images
Use these visual references to compare angle, wear, and silhouette before making a final ID.
