Anomoeodus phaseolus

Anomoeodus phaseolus is a species of pycnodont found in the Late Cretaceous sediments of South Carolina and elsewhere along the East Coast. Pycnodonts are a horizontally compressed group of highly diverse fish. They have a crushing dentition and tended to feed on molluscs and crustaceans. The most common find from this fish are their teeth, however teeth from this fish are still quite uncommon. Articulated mouthplates are rarer still and provide an interesting glimpse into the feeding style and intriguing dentition of this fish.

Scale: 1cm

Age: Late Cretaceous

Articulated Mouthplate

Partial mouthplates offer unique insight in the dentition of these fish. In this mouthplate you can see the small “button” teeth alongside the larger and longer “boat” teeth. You can also see the different level of wear on each tooth. Also interesting is how “button” teeth appear to be taking the place of boat teeth as they wear, and some appear to be melding together.

“Boat” teeth

The boat teeth are long and slender, and much larger than the singular button teeth.