Fish Diplomystus sp.
Specifications
- Found:
- Green River, Wyoming, USA
- Genus:
- Diplomystus
- Specimen size:
- 36 cm (14")
- Overall size:
- 58*32.5 cm (12.75*22.75")
- Age:
- 48-53 mln years
- Period:
- Paleogene
Description
Diplomystus is a genus of herring-like fish, widely spread in fresh waters of the Eocene. The most imposing findings are known from the Green River Formation. A body expanding in the anterior part and a large head characterizes these fish. This specimen belongs to the large representative of the genus Diplomystus, which are usually smaller in size. Like all herrings, Diplomystus is a predator. Among its victims is the typical inhabitant of the Green River - a small fish Knightia. Collectors prize Diplomystus from Green River for its imposing appearance and a good level of preservation. Thanks to the thin calcareous silt that soaked the carcass of the fish after death, even the smallest bones of the fins and the contours of the body were preserved.