Some Interesting Facts About The Snaggletooth Shark You Need to Know

The extant Snaggletooth shark, or otherwise known as Hemipristis elongata, is a species of weasel shark that only very few people know about. Millions of years ago, these sharks had a fair share of presence in most parts of the aquatic world, but now they are only limited to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Western Pacific. They have odd snaggle-shaped teeth, which earned them the name “the Snaggletooth shark.” Today, tons of snaggletooth shark teeth have been discovered, many of which are also for sale in some exhibitions and online stores. 

Here are some of the facts about the Snaggletooth shark you should know about:

Appearance: they are light grey or bronze in color and slender in shape with a long, broadly rounded snout and horizontally oval eyes. They also have strong-curved fins and long gill slits.

Teeth: they have odd saw-edged teeth in the upper jaw, and hooked teeth in the bottom jaw that protrudes from the mouth.

Body size: they can grow up to 8 feet in length. Male sharks are twice the size of the females.

Diet: Snaggletooth sharks mainly feed on bony fishes, other small sharks, and crustaceans.

Lifespan: the maximum reported lifespan of a snaggletooth shark is 15 years. 

Conservation status: they are described as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Bottom line

While the snaggletooth sharks are not popular like other species of the shark, their unique teeth are quite popular among fossils collectors because of the saw-edged shape. 

If you are looking for the snaggletooth shark fossils, feel free to browse our collection of finest quality fossils of all the prehistoric and living creatures.