Ptychotrygon vermiculata

Ptychotrygon is an enigmatic sawfish. Associated specimens have been found allowing us to link micro-sized rostral spines with the teeth of this creature, however this species didn’t possess macro spines like most sawfish. It appears by the morphology of its oral teeth that it was a crushing-focused feeder and likely fed on shelled prey like crabs and molluscs. Perhaps it evolved its long rostrum as a way to detect or scoop out prey hiding in the sediment.

Size: 2-5mm (1/8-1/4 inch)

Scale: 5mm

Age: Late Cretaceous

Oral Teeth

Ptychotrygon tooth crowns are humped with an easily recognizable shape. Their roots are bilobate (two-lobed), symmetrical and flat. They have a small protrusion out the front of the crown that is typically worn.

Rostral Spines

Ptychotrygon rostral spines are very small. Unlike most sawfishes, which have some small and some large spines, ptychotrygon only has this tiny spines. This specimen is ~3mm long.