Shark tooth identification guide
Shark tooth identification means comparing a tooth's crown shape, serrations, root, size and position in the jaw to work out which shark it may have come from. Many teeth cannot be pinned to one species, so a good answer names the likeliest candidates and says how sure it is.
How to identify a shark tooth in five steps
- Know the parts. A shark tooth has a crown, the pointed enamel part that does the cutting, and a root, the part that was held in the gum. See the anatomy guide.
- Think about where in the jaw it sat. A shark has many tooth shapes in one mouth.
- Look at the edges. Serrations are the tiny saw-like notches along the cutting edges.
- Look at the root. Some teeth have a shallow groove running down the middle of the root on the tongue side.
- Measure it and compare. Measure along the slant from the tip to the base of the crown, not straight up.
Compare ten common shark teeth
| Tooth | Time range | Size (cm) | Serrations | Side cusplets | Bourlette |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great White Shark | 5 Ma to today | 2 to 7 | coarse | none | no |
| Megalodon | 23 to 3.6 Ma | 8 to 17 | fine | none | yes |
| Tiger Shark | 12 Ma to today | 1.5 to 5 | coarse | none | no |
| Bull Shark | 23 Ma to today | 1.5 to 3 | fine | none | no |
| Sand Tiger | 20 Ma to today | 2 to 5 | none | present | no |
| Shortfin Mako | 20 Ma to today | 2 to 6 | none | none | no |
| Snaggletooth | 23 to 1 Ma | 2 to 5 | coarse | none | no |
| Lemon Shark | 20 Ma to today | 1 to 2.5 | none | none | no |
| Broad-tooth Mako | 20 to 3 Ma | 4 to 10 | none | none | no |
| Chubutensis | 28 to 13 Ma | 8 to 14 | fine | present | yes |
Ma means million years ago. Sizes are the typical range in our reference library, measured along the slant of the crown. The bourlette is a dark band between the crown and the root.
Species guides
Great White Shark teeth
A broad triangular crown with coarse, irregular serrations on both edges, no cusplets and no bourlette.
Megalodon teeth
A very large, broad, nearly equilateral triangle with fine, even serrations on both edges and a broad V-shaped
Tiger Shark teeth
A short, oblique, cockscomb-shaped crown with coarse serrations along the leading edge, finer secondary serrat
Bull Shark teeth
Large uppers are broad and nearly symmetric with fine, regular serrations, a high root and no notch between he
Sand Tiger teeth
A trident: a long, narrow, smooth, slightly curved main cusp with one or two pairs of small, sharp side cusple
Shortfin Mako teeth
A long, slender, smooth, S-curved needle with no serrations and no cusplets; round in cross-section.
Snaggletooth teeth
Uppers: broad, curved, serrated blades with very large serrations for the size of the tooth.
Lemon Shark teeth
A narrow, smooth-edged, slightly leaning tooth with a broad flat root.
Broad-tooth Mako teeth
A broad, smooth, flat-faced triangle with a straight edge, no serrations, no cusplets, and a smooth junction w
Chubutensis teeth
Megalodon-like, wide with a bourlette, usually with small triangular side cusplets at the crown base.
Your questions
How can I identify a shark tooth from a photo?
Photograph the tooth on a plain background in bright light, sharp and straight on, with a coin or ruler beside it for scale. Add a close-up of one cutting edge and of the root if you can. Then compare it with the features in this guide, use the free tooth key, or ask for an Expert ID, which looks at up to three photos and returns the likeliest matches with the evidence for and against each.
How do I know if a shark tooth is fossilized?
Fossil teeth have been mineralized and are usually dark gray, black, brown or tan, and feel heavy for their size. Teeth from living sharks are white to cream, light and fresh. Where you found it and how old the deposit is helps tell them apart.
Can two different shark species have similar-looking teeth?
Yes. Some species have teeth that look alike, especially when worn or when they come from different positions in the jaw. When that happens a careful answer names the group, such as requiem sharks or sand tigers, instead of forcing one species. Each species guide below lists its common look-alikes.
Is a Sharktoothify identification certified?
No. Results are estimates for education and fun. They can be wrong, and anything valuable or important should be checked by a qualified expert.
Can I keep the shark teeth I find?
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules change and differ by place, so check with the landowner or the agency that manages the land.
How Sharktoothify helps
The tooth key is free, needs no account and works offline. An Expert ID looks at up to three photos and returns a ranked list of likely matches with evidence and a confidence level. Read exactly how it works and where it falls short.
Compiled from the published sources listed below. This guide has not yet been reviewed by an outside paleontologist. Last updated November 11, 2026.