Fish · GBIF taxon 11119671
Lamna mantellii
Lamna mantelliiAlso known as Ginsu Shark
Ginsu sharks patrolled Cretaceous seas as formidable apex predators, slicing through heavily armored marine vertebrates with razor-sharp, enamel-coated teeth that lacked serrations. Vertebral ring analyses reveal rapid juvenile growth rates and a regional endothermic metabolism akin to modern lamnid sharks, allowing high-speed pursuit in offshore open waters. Skeletal remains and fossilized stomach contents document active predation on predatory fish, sea turtles, and young mosasaurs throughout the Western Interior Seaway.
PrehistoricApex PredatorMarine
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Xiphactinus audax
- Protostega gigas
- Dolichorhynchops osborni
Predators
- Tylosaurus proriger
- Mosasaurus missouriensis
ThreatsMarine faunal turnovers and competition with emerging giant mosasaurs
HabitatsTemperate to subtropical pelagic oceans and epicontinental seaways
Life span35–40 years
Classification
- FamilyCretoxyrhinidae
- SpeciesLamna mantellii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species known only from fossils; safe to observe in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Fossil Identification: Look for smooth, broad triangular teeth lacking serrations with thick enamel.
- Museum Viewing: Examine articulated chalk specimens displayed in central North American natural history museums.
Prey Jonathan Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableCompetitor 
Neighbor Parent Géry / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Prey Claire H. from New York City, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
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