any ideas on this bone?

[headhunter7]

i found this while walking on the Ohio river this past weekend. thought maybe it could have been used as a threading needle of some kind...i don't know what do you guy's think? looks like maybe a fish bone?

[joshuaream]

Catfish spine?

[jeff a]

yep catfish spine

[headhunter7]

is this what they always look like? or has that been sharpend on one end? thanks for the info either way!!!!

[The Grim Reaper]

Definitely a catfish spine and yes they are naturally shaped that way.

[larson1951]

catfish pectoral spike with the barbs polished off
they look like they worked real good
that looks like it came from a fairly good size cat
larson

[headhunter7]

that's what i was thinking about the two little barbs on the one side near the hole.. was thinking they would have filed those down if it was to be used as a needle. thanks again guys

[Harry Pristis]

These dorsal fin spines fool a lot of collectors. Your spine is not from a catfish, at least it is not a pectoral spine as in the image below. Catfish pectorals are easy to recognize because they are serrated.

I found these two spines still articulated in mud. This pair is almost certainly from a snook, based on the other fish fossils from the site.

[Harry Pristis]

Here're the catfish pectoral spines: