RARE DALPIAZIA STROMERI SAWFISH TOOTH

Khouribga Phosphates, Morocco

LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD:  96 - 66 million years ago

The extinct sawfish ( sawshark ) Dalpiazia stromeri, is a very rare species.  A fossil rostral tooth specimen such as this is only the third one we have ever had to offer.  Dalpiazia was a large sawfish that inhabited the Cretaceous seas of what is now the phosphate deposits of Khouribga, Morocco.  The specimen is still in the original matrix in which it was found.  Also in the matrix are various fossil fish vertebra partially exposed.  This specimen is a nice and affordable example.  Entire crown is present with one small barb missing but otherwise, tooth is complete.  Original ivory enamel is still intact.  The tooth is INTACT WITH NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. 

Related to the modern day sawfish, the Dalpiazia had a long, hard shovel-shaped snout lined on both sides with these barbed teeth.  Sawfish are the most fascinating members of the shark and ray family

Sawfishes are very lethargic animals, spending much of their day nestled in the muddy sea/river floor. At night, they scull slowly through the shallows, using their sensitive saw to find buried prey, which are then raked from the sediment to be consumed. It is useful to view the sawfishes' unique rostrum like a metal detector combined with a clam rake.

If small fishes, like mullet, swim past a hungry sawfish, this great ray will launch from the bottom, slashing its toothy weapon rapidly side to side. Gouged by the snout's awl-shaped teeth, injured fishes tumble to the sea floor, now immobilized and easy to catch!

Apart from its use in finding and disabling prey, the toothy rostrum is also a weapon of defense. When threatened, sawfishes will smack this jagged sword against attackers, whether they be sharks or fishermen. Generally, though, sawfishes are very gentle animals, preferring to lie quietly, undisturbed.

Very little is known about sawfish life history, but the late Dr. Thomas Thorson performed studies on a freshwater species, the Largetooth sawfish ( Pristis perotteti) from Lake Nicaragua. According to his findings, this sawfish lives approximately 25-30 years, attaining maturity in about 10 years. Females give live birth and pup sawfishes are around 2.5 ft long at birth, reaching a maximum length of 23 ft! A rubbery envelope surrounds the softened saw at birth to protect the mother from harm. It is thought that mating occurs every other year, with an average litter size of approximately 8 pups.

Sawfishes love muddy shallow water, and this is why many people are unaware of them. Few humans, apart from tribal villagers and fishermen venture into sawfish domain. These elasmobranchs possess a remarkable physiological system allowing them to travel from the sea into freshwater at will. Some species seem to spend most of their lives in rivers and lakes! It is likely that sawfishes require a variety of habitats and salinities to complete their lifecycle.

Roughly 40 species of modern sawfishes are known; only a handful survive today.

A RARE SPECIMEN - ONLY THIRD ROSTRAL TOOTH WE HAVE OFFERED EVER!

1.25" long

$85     MV17-018     Actual Item - One Only

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