Angel Shark Tooth
Squatina species
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A small tooth with one long, smooth-edged cusp on a broad base and no side cusplets, from a flattened ambush shark.
- Typical size
- 0.2–0.6 in
- How often it turns up
- Uncommon
- Collecting
- Check local rules
- Handling
- Sharp edges
Florida needs no fossil permit for shark teeth, but state parks, national seashores and wildlife refuges don't allow collecting, and private land needs the owner's permission.
How to tell it apart
- One long pointed cusp on a broad base, with no side cusplets
- Smooth, non-serrated cutting edges
- Relatively thick front-to-back rather than blade-flat
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for shark teeth. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
- Fort Clinch State Park · Fernandina Beach
- Lighthouse Point Park · Ponce Inlet
- Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood
- Turner Beach · Captiva
- Venice Beach · Venice
- Amelia Island State Park · Amelia Island
- Anastasia State Park · St. Augustine
- Bethune Beach · New Smyrna Beach
- Brohard Paw Park · Venice
- Crescent Beach · St. Augustine
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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Commonly confused with
Lemon Shark ToothNegaprion brevirostris
A smooth, narrow cusp alone doesn't make it an angel shark tooth: lemon shark teeth look similar, and upper lemon teeth can have finely serrated bases. Angel shark teeth are thicker front-to-back.
Sand Tiger Shark ToothCarcharias taurus
Look for tiny side cusplets beside the main cusp: they point to sand tiger, not angel shark. On a worn or broken tooth, missing cusplets alone don't settle it.
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark ToothRhizoprionodon terraenovae
Sharpnose teeth lean to one side and have a notch on the outer edge. An angel shark tooth has one long pointed cusp standing on a broad base.
More shark teeth in the field guide
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