Found in Ramnessin Creek in Holmdel, NJ - Is This a Claw or Toe of Some Sort?

[kushmeja]

Hi Everyone,

 

I was recently out collecting along Ramnessin Creek in Holmdel, NJ when I found this fossil. It's about 1.5" long and appears to be a bone of some sort, possibly a toe bone or a claw, but I'm far from an expert. Can anyone help with an ID? I have a few more pics as well, but was over the max size for a post, but I can add them as a reply if anyone would like to see more pics. 

 

It looks very similar to some dinosaur claws I saw online, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself and assume that is what I found, so I figured that I would see what others have to say. 

 

The funny thing is that I also found my first Mosasaur tooth the same day, after about 50-60 trips out in that general area collecting fossils.

 

Thanks for the help,

 

John

[Fossildude19]

I took the liberty of brightening and contrasting your photos a bit. 

 

 

 

[Peat Burns]

Fish operculum or fish skull fragment?

[Auspex]

I was thinking the texture looked a bit 'fishy', but I can't take that any further.

[Bone guy]

Picture two has teeth that remind me of one of those toothed birds from the Cenozoic.

[The Jersey Devil]

It is an Enchodus sp. upper right palatine jaw section. The grooves visible in the second photo are where previous palatine fangs left scar marks after being replaced.

[indominus rex]

Definitely not a claw, +1 for fish bone.

[Pemphix]

+1 for fish

[Carl]

I'm with @josephstrizhak - Enchodus palatine minus the fang.

[kushmeja]

Thanks for all the help guys! Yeah, I didn't really think I was lucky enough to have found a claw or toe bone. It does look like a jaw bone now that I look at it more.