Rare Color Hastalis Fossil Tooth – One-of-a-Kind Relic Reef Pit Find

A FOSSIL THAT LOOKS LIKE A PIECE OF ART.

Some fossils are collected for their size. Others are collected because they simply look incredible.

This one is both.

This one-of-a-kind Carcharodon hastalis, the broad-toothed mako shark was recovered from the original Relic Reef pit.

The first thing that catches your eye is the enamel. Its unusual pale ivory, blue-gray, and smoky coloration creates a natural pattern across the crown, while the darker fossilized root provides a dramatic contrast.

No paint.

No artificial coloration.

No two specimens will ever look exactly like this.

The Florida Museum of Natural History recognizes Carcharodon hastalis as an extinct shark dating from roughly 20 to 3 million years ago, and notes that it is now widely considered part of the lineage leading toward the modern great white shark.

A NATURAL WORK OF ART

Every fossil carries millions of years of history, but occasionally nature creates something that feels almost deliberately designed.

The unusual coloration and contrasting root make this specimen particularly suited for display. It doesn't need a case full of other fossils around it — this is the kind of tooth you put on display by itself.

One tooth. One find. One story.

Once this specimen is gone, Relic Reef won't have another one exactly like it.