What is squaloraja?

Squaloraja is an extinct genus of cartilaginous fish that lived during the Late Jurassic period around 155-150 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Europe, specifically in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Squaloraja belongs to the subclass Holocephali, which includes modern-day chimaeras or ghost sharks.

The genus was first described by Swiss paleontologist Karl Alfred von Zittel in 1887 based on a fragmented fossil specimen. Squaloraja is characterized by its flattened body and large dorsal fin spine, which may have been used for defense or to attract mates. Its teeth were shaped like triangular blades and were used to crush hard-shelled prey like crustaceans and mollusks.

Squaloraja is considered a basal member of the chimaera family and is important for understanding the early evolution of cartilaginous fishes. Despite its interesting anatomy, relatively little is known about Squaloraja's behavior, habitat, and biology due to the scarcity of fossil specimens.