Sphyraenodus lerichei – Tooth

Sphyraenodus lerichei tooth collected from the exposed and eroded Eocene coastal beds of Hampshire. Sphyraenodus is an extinct genus of bony fish. The teeth measure between 6 and 10 mm and are supplied in small plastic bags with an information label. These tooth specimens were collected from both the Bracklesham beds in Lee on Solent and the Barton Beds in Barton. The beds were laid down during the upper Eocene epoch when a warm inland sea covered the coastal areas of Hampshire. Both the Barton and Bracklesham beds are highly fossiliferous and continue to be productive today despite having been pillaged by collectors for over 100 years.