SkaTES, RAYS and FISH

 

Anomoeodus phaseolus (Hay)

Age  Cretaceous - Occurrence  Very Common
 

Anomoeodus phaseolus, part of the boney fish family had cobblestone-like teeth capable of crushing oysters. These “crushers” were replaced by new ones as they became worn helping to account for the large number of teeth found. The teeth are easy to identify, they look like beans with the backside hollowed out and are usually in the ¼ inch to 1 inch range.  Branchial or gill teeth can also be found, these are small thin hooked teeth averaging less than 1/4 of an inch. The tip of these teeth is often translucent. Given their small size the gill teeth tend to be found with less frequency. The fossil records indicate that this fish became extinct by the end of the Cretaceous period. A. phaseolus is sometimes erroneously referred to as a drum fish.

The shape of the teeth can vary from round to canoe shaped depending
on the position in the jaw.
 

While black is the predominate color in Monmouth County, NJ,
one can find an assortment of colors.
 

Mouth plate of A. phaseolus.
Photo from Oceans of Kansas website.

Branchial (gill) tooth.
These are the teeth found in the back part of the throat on the modified
 gill arches of some fish. Some modern fish use these teeth for sound production.
 

Typical size and condition of A. phaseolus
gill teeth.
 

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