Species · GBIF taxon 4964231
Enchodus petrosus
Enchodus petrosusAlso known as Sabre-Toothed Herring
Enchodus petrosus was a prominent predatory marine fish that patrolled the warm, shallow seas of the Late Cretaceous, most famously the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Renowned for its extraordinarily elongated, fang-like palatine and dentary teeth that could measure several centimeters in length, it was an agile mid-tier carnivore capable of snaring slippery prey. Its remains are among the most frequently discovered fish fossils in chalk formations such as the Niobrara Chalk, highlighting its ubiquitous role in ancient marine food webs.
PrehistoricCarnivorousMarine
Licensed referenceMCDinosaurhunter / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Small teleost fish
- Belemnites
- Squid
Predators
- Tylosaurus proriger
- Cretoxyrhina mantelli
- Xiphactinus audax
ThreatsCretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, marine apex predators
HabitatsWarm epicontinental shallow marine waters and pelagic seas
Life span10–20 years
Classification
- FamilyDorypteridae
- SpeciesEnchodus petrosus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct fossil species; safe to observe preserved specimens in collections and museums.
Responsible observation
- Museum Viewing: Examine fossilized jaws in natural history collections to view the distinct interlocking palatine fangs.
- Fossil Hunting: Check local regulations and landowner permissions before searching exposed Late Cretaceous chalk deposits.
Competitor Jonathan Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Predator User:A,Ocram / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative MCDinosaurhunter / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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