New fish species from the Cretaceous of Mexico

[Halichoeres]

Meet Scombroclupea javieri, a herring-like fish found in Chiapas in southern Mexico. It expands the known range of the lineage it belongs to. Here's one of the specimens (more in the paper):



Paywalled (but message me for pdf): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566711930463X

[Halichoeres]

Another new species from the same quarry, Choichix alvaradoi, might be the basalmost known member of the enormous fish clade Acanthopterygii, which includes everything from tuna to cichlids to whalefishes to scorpionfishes.

Good-looking fish:


Paper (paywalled, but pm me for a pdf): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1359

[Faelrin]

Wow these are some real beautiful fish fossils. The second one reminds me of the Bluegill sunfish I used to catch as a kid (although I know the fin shape is definitely different, its classification, etc. Probably better ones out there to compare it with, but it was the first that came to mind I guess). The implications of the find seem pretty interesting too. Man I really need to do some more studying up on (non jawless) fishes as a whole.

And I don't know why I am only thinking of this now, but I almost tempted to print these images out and have them framed on my walls. They are that interesting to look at. I think the color perhaps has something to do with it, level of preservation aside. But granted a professional quality print would probably be better no less. I wonder if anything is offered like that.

[Halichoeres]

If this reminds you of a bluegill, you have a good eye! Bluegills are also part of that acanthomorph clade, and they have a pretty similar body shape.

And these definitely would look nice as prints!