Please help I.D. this bone

[dsaffell]

My mother-in-law found this in the woods of South Carolina by a lake. 8-10 inches in length. Here it is pictures on an average size table mat.

Edited January 13, 2017 by dsaffell
Misspelled/typo

[FossilDudeCO]

I do not believe this to be fossilized.

I do believe it to be a portion of a skull though.

 

Let me do some research and see if I can match it.

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Part of a recent fish skull ?

 

Coco

[Al Dente]

It is a catfish skull, probably flathead catfish Pylodictis oliveris.

[Vieira]

I agree with a modern fish skull.

[dsaffell]

Thanks for the help!

 

[M Harvey]

  It's a fish occipital, frontal and parietal.  Maybe gar? 

[jpc]

I vote catfish over gar.  Gar facial bones have lots of distinctive patterning, which this does not.  

 

[LordTrilobite]

Definitely the top of a fish skull.

[M Harvey]

I agree with JPC