Bull Shark tooth identification
Large uppers are broad and nearly symmetric with fine, regular serrations, a high root and no notch between heel and crown; lowers are narrower and upright.
At a glance
| Scientific name | Carcharhinus leucas |
|---|---|
| Family | Carcharhinidae |
| Status | Extant (vulnerable) |
| Time range | Miocene to Recent |
| Typical tooth size in our reference | 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6 to 1.2 inches) along the slant |
| Where teeth turn up | US Atlantic Coastal Plain (Maryland to Florida); US Gulf Coast (Florida to Texas); Worldwide. US states with known finds: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas |
| How common | Common |
What to look for
| Crown shape | Erect, flat in cross-section |
|---|---|
| Serrations | Fine |
| Enamel | Smooth |
| Neck between crown and root | None |
| Root | Low, wide, with a groove down the middle |
| Root groove | Groove |
| Side cusplets | None |
| Position in the jaw | Uppers are broad, nearly equilateral and finely serrated with a high root; lowers are narrow, upright and finely serrated |
The clues that matter most
- Broad, nearly symmetric upper with fine serrations and no notch between heel and crown
Signs it is probably something else
- Cusplets
- A thick U-shaped root with no groove
How it differs from look-alikes
- Dusky Shark: Dusky teeth are narrower with slightly curved edges.
- Great White Shark teeth: Great White teeth have coarser serrations.
Many teeth cannot be pinned to one species. A careful answer names the likeliest candidates and says how sure it is. See how identification works and shark tooth anatomy.
Fossil, recent and collecting notes
Bull, dusky, sandbar, blacktip, copper and silky teeth overlap, and isolated teeth often cannot be named to species even by specialists (Naylor and Marcus 1994 is the key paper). Treat any species name as provisional. Species-level fossil records older than about 12 million years are uncertain; most Miocene requiem teeth are best recorded as Carcharhinus sp.
Bull sharks swim far up rivers. They travel up the San Juan River into Lake Nicaragua, and they have been tracked up the Mississippi too.
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.
Sources
- Cappetta, H. 2012. Chondrichthyes: Mesozoic and Cenozoic Elasmobranchii: Teeth. Handbook of Paleoichthyology 3E. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.
- Ebert, D.A., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2021. Sharks of the World: A Complete Guide. Princeton University Press.
- Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue Vol. 4: Sharks of the World, Parts 1 and 2. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (gbif.org), accepted names and IUCN Red List categories as listed there, checked Nov 7 2026.
- The Paleobiology Database (paleobiodb.org), taxonomy and stratigraphic ranges, checked Nov 2026.
- Naylor, G.J.P. & Marcus, L.F. 1994. Identifying isolated shark teeth of the genus Carcharhinus to species: relevance for tracking phyletic change through the fossil record. American Museum Novitates 3109.
Compiled from the published sources listed below. This guide has not yet been reviewed by an outside paleontologist. Last updated November 11, 2026.