Description
- Enchodus Fish Jaw
- Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage, (~66 Million Years)
- Ouled Abdoun Basin (Phosphate beds)
- Oued Zem, Morocco North Africa
- Matrix measures 5.5″ long
Enchodus is an extinct genus of aulopiform ray-finned fish related to lancetfish and lizardfish. Species of Enchodus flourished during the Late Cretaceous, and survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, persisting into the late Eocene. Enchodus species were 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 among fossil hunters and paleoichthyologists, “the saber-toothed herring”. These fangs, along with a long sleek body and large eyes, suggest Enchodus was a predatory species.
