Garfish Atractosteus simplex

The armored pike is a relict fish family, known since the Cretaceous period. These fish were contemporaries of the Tyrannosaurs and Triceratops, they survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, and still inhabit water bodies in North America. Indeed, they could also be found in lakes from the Eocene epoch, about 50 million years ago.

One such fish is perfectly preserved in a layer of lake limestone from the Green River Formation. The muscular body of the armored pike is covered with large rhombic scales. The scales form real armor that most predators cannot handle. The fins, including the tail fin, are rounded and small. Bony shields protect the head; the jaws are elongated with many small teeth.

This armored pike is small, and easily fits on a slab measuring 99 cm by 61 cm. Such a fish, as well as some of its modern relatives, could be kept in an aquarium.

As a fossil, however, it would fit nicely into a study or living room space.