In Depth Rhinconichthys was first named in 2010, from fossils that had been discovered in England. Then in 2016 a description of two new species, R. uyenoi from Japan and R. purgatoirensis from the USA were described, revealing to us that this fish genus potentially had a global distribution. Rhinconichthys is noted for the large … Read more
In Depth Although Leptolepis may just be a little unremarkable looking fish, it is important as it is the first true bony fish that is known in the fossil record. Its predecessors had cartilagninous skeletons meaning they would only preserve when conditions were absolutely right. There are several deposits that show large numbers of Leptolepis … Read more
In Depth A smaller relative of the fearsome Xiphactinus, Thrissops would have still been a fearsome predator of smaller fish. The tail is deeply forked with the upper and lower lobes roughly equal in proportion to one another, a clear sign that the tail was capable of tremendous bursts of speed. It’s possible that Thrissops … Read more
In Depth Nardovelifer is a genus of prehistoric lamprid fish that lived in the waters around modern day Italy during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - The Cretaceous fishes of Nardo. 10: Nardovelifer altipinnis, gen. et sp. nov. (Teleostei, Lampridiformes, Veliferidae). - St Ric Giac Terz Bolca 8: 11–27. - C. Sorbini & L. Sorbini … Read more
In Depth Sphenocephalus were fairly small fish that were hunters of small aquatic organisms. The large eyes are an indication that it was a visually orientated predator. The genus Sphenocephalus actually has an uncertain relationship placement to other fish due to the mix of distinguishing features, something causes various researchers to consider it in different … Read more
In Depth Large and bioengineered Piranha have been staple components for B-movies since the 1970s, but to find real monster piranha that once really existed you just have to look into the fossil record of South America during the Miocene. Unfortunately the only currently known remains of Megapiranha are the teeth from the premaxilla, the … Read more
In Depth Moythomasia was an early ray-finned fish of the Devonian period that seems to have had a wide distribution because the world’s continents were gradually coming together into the supercontinent of Pangaea. Further Reading – A new species of the Devonian actinopterygian Moythomasia from Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, and fresh observations on M. durgaringa from … Read more
In Depth The Mene genus is not extinct, it is actually a popular food fish with M. maculata being a regular catch. There are however up to seven extinct prehistoric species currently named. So far the largest species of Mene seems to have been M. purdyi which seems to have attained lengths of about 40 … Read more
In Depth As an early ray finned fish Saurichthys displays several characteristics of a fast swimming predator, however the exact method of hunting is still not known for certain. The caudal (tail) fin was not as well developed as other open water fish, although the close proximity of the dorsal (back) and anal (bottom) fins … Read more
In Depth Lycoptera is a genus of small freshwater fish that seems to have been very common throughout Asia during the Late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. It is because of this abundance that Lycoptera is often used as an index fossil. What this means is that identifying the presence of Lycoptera in a specimen … Read more