THE SHARKS

Angle Shark
Squatina hassei (Leriche)

Age - Cretaceous  Commonality - Less Common

Squatina hassei lived during the late Cretaceous period and is the only species of angel shark found in the New Jersey area. The teeth of Squatina hassei are small, usually under ¼ of an inch in length and will normally fall through the standard 1/4 inch screening. The teeth of the angel shark are very distinctive and not easily confused with other species. The root makes up the bulk of the tooth and there is a pronounced apron on the labial face of the crown that extends below the basal margin of the root.  The crown has a triangular shape with steeply sloping enameled shoulders. There is little difference in tooth form between the anterior and lateral teeth, with the laterals having lower crowns and wider roots.

Angle Shark
Squatina hassei
 

These teeth fall into my definition of "micro", anything small enough to
slip through 1/4 inch mesh screening.
 

Left -Labial view of Squatina hassei Right - Profile view
Monmouth County, NJ
 

Lateral Squatina hassei
The lateral teeth have lower crowns and wider roots.
 

One of the few teeth I've found large enough to get hung up in the standard 1/4 inch screening.

The vertebrae of the angle shark is unique looking.
There is calcified cartilage on the lateral surfaces of the centrum.

Specimen donated to the New Jersey State Museum.

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