Sand Tiger tooth identification
A trident: a long, narrow, smooth, slightly curved main cusp with one or two pairs of small, sharp side cusplets, and a root with long lobes.
At a glance
| Scientific name | Carcharias taurus |
|---|---|
| Family | Odontaspididae |
| Status | Extant (critically endangered) |
| Time range | Miocene to Recent |
| Typical tooth size in our reference | 2 to 5 cm (0.8 to 2 inches) along the slant |
| Where teeth turn up | US Atlantic Coastal Plain (Maryland to Florida); US Gulf Coast (Florida to Texas); US Pacific coast; Europe; Australia and New Zealand; Worldwide. US states with known finds: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida |
| How common | Very common |
What to look for
| Crown shape | Sigmoid, convex in cross-section |
|---|---|
| Serrations | None |
| Enamel | Folds |
| Neck between crown and root | None |
| Root | Two long, slender lobes separated by a deep U, a prominent lingual boss without a groove |
| Root groove | None |
| Side cusplets | One pair of small, sharp cusplets, sometimes a second tiny pair |
| Position in the jaw | Anteriors long, narrow and S-curved with fine folds at the base of the lingual face; laterals shorter, broader, with wider cusplets |
The clues that matter most
- Narrow smooth crown with one pair of sharp cusplets and a deeply forked root
Signs it is probably something else
- Serrations
- A root groove
How it differs from look-alikes
- Smalltooth Sand Tiger: Smalltooth sand tiger is smaller and more slender with taller cusplets.
- Bluntnose Sixgill (Cow Shark): Cow shark lowers are wide combs.
- Obliquus: Otodus has a much thicker crown.
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
The most commonly found shark tooth on many beaches.
Sand tigers gulp air at the surface to help them hover in the water, and their long narrow teeth are made for grabbing slippery fish.
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.
Compiled from the published sources listed below. This guide has not yet been reviewed by an outside paleontologist. Last updated November 11, 2026.