BajaNomad - Identification Help?

Identification Help?

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 08:36 AM

Using the down time to thin out and re-organize, I came across this item my son and I found at the high tide line at Km 83 while camping outside San Jose Del Cabo in the '80's.

We thought at the time it might be a baby eel but were baffled by the extended jaw line evidenced by the small teeth running down the bone length. The large teeth in the middle of the jaw (?) were impressive and we couldn't figure how the action of swallowing could be accomplished with so many hindrances in the center line of teeth.

So now that we all have lot's of time...are there guesses or knowledgeable answers to what we had found? Is it an ocean dweller or a land dweller?

Thanks!

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 08:38 AM

I think have one other shot from directly above I can post if that helps.

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 09:03 AM

This help?

[Edited on 4-9-2020 by paranewbi]

It's quite elementary, I have the answer

Howard - 4-9-2020 at 09:34 AM

It's a black ball point pen.

jamiec - 4-9-2020 at 09:45 AM

My guess is a Pacific Barracuda. They have two bones in their upper jaw, this looks like one of them.

Look at this photo of a Barracuda skull.

https://twitter.com/Pythosart/status/1057610994686611456/pho...

bkbend - 4-9-2020 at 09:52 AM

Pacific snake eel
https://www.mexican-fish.com/pacific-snake-eel/

I met somebody a few years ago with one of those skulls and then a couple months ago, three of us were fishing out beyond the entrance to Don Juan Cove in BdeLA and brought two up at the same time. A beautiful eel. We carefully turned them back and didn't open their mouths to confirm the tooth structure.

LosCabosbound - 4-9-2020 at 10:00 AM

I’ll take a stab at it...Lancetfish

motoged - 4-9-2020 at 10:10 AM

Don't know about the fish....but what kind of guitar(s) do you play?

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 10:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by LosCabosbound

I’ll take a stab at it...Lancetfish

I'm leaning towards this. I did some research having the lead by LosCabosbound and a part of the description seems to fit; " Mouth large, with small teeth on jaws but some larger canines on lower jaw; a row of moderate canines and two erect fangs on palatines."

I had to look up 'palatines' preceded by 'mouth' and that is a term for the palate or hard upper top of the mouth. That is where those two fangs are at in my specimen. And the photos of the Lancet show the lower jaw does the opening work, which would fit the elongated bone of my skeletal remnant.

Any better options?

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 10:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Don't know about the fish....but what kind of guitar(s) do you play?

6 string travel beater acoustic...gave my good ones away to a church/orphanage in Otay and an accomplished Guatemalan player in Guatemala.

A 4 string Dulcimer

A 10 string Churango from Ecuador. The body is the back shell of an armadillo. It plays somewhat like a Ukulele.

caj13 - 4-9-2020 at 11:17 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

I will just take a guess, for fun... Young sea lion?

No sea lions skulls look like a bear skull, have K-9s, molars incisors etc Whatever this is is marine

I don't think its a barracuda either, that upturned structure seems to eliminate cuda, lancet fish is a good guess, but so far i have not found a visual reference to confirm

cannibalistic hermaphrodite - how cool is that! a few images in the video seem to match up fairly well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBYua6CuXdY

[Edited on 4-9-2020 by caj13]

[Edited on 4-9-2020 by caj13]

paranewbi - 4-9-2020 at 12:37 PM

This still frame from the video link by caj13...

"A lancetfish recently washed ashore in North Carolina. These creepy looking fish are born as hermaphrodites and have cannibalistic tendencies!"

Skipjack Joe - 4-9-2020 at 03:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LosCabosbound

I’ll take a stab at it...Lancetfish

nice pun.

I think you're right though - lancetfish. Nice going. I thought this was going to be a hard one.

motoged - 4-10-2020 at 09:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by paranewbi

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Don't know about the fish....but what kind of guitar(s) do you play?

Thanks....always curious what pickers are playing. An interesting range of instruments.

I have played 6 string acoustics since 1963, and started with electrics since I retired in 2016.... a whole different world.... having fun with both.

[Edited on 4-10-2020 by motoged]