12.5" Uncommon Fossil Fish (Notogoneus) - Wyoming

This is a 12.5" long fossil fish (Notogoneus osculus), one of the larger and more uncommon fish found in the Green River Formation. It was collected from the 18 inch layer of the formation near Kemmerer, Wyoming.

The plate has been backed with wood for stability and comes with a display stand.

About The 18 Inch Layer Of Fossil Lake

Specimens of this quality come from the coveted 18-inch layer of the Green River Formation, a horizon renowned for producing exceptionally dark, detailed, and well-preserved fossil fish. The limestone from this layer is significantly harder and more durable than that found in many other parts of the formation, likely a result of the deep-water conditions under which it was originally deposited.

These conditions helped preserve fish in remarkable completeness, allowing exceptional specimens to be recovered largely intact. Locating them is a specialized process. The layer is often worked at night using low-angle lighting, which reveals the subtle raised contours created by a fossil fish—particularly the backbone—hidden beneath the surface of the limestone.

A view of the 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation at the Lindgren quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
A view of the 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation at the Lindgren quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming.


Once identified, the surrounding rock is carefully cut away and the specimen is transported to a preparation laboratory. Because the fossil may lie as much as an inch beneath the surface, exposing it requires painstaking work under magnification. Skilled preparators use fine hand tools to gradually remove the overlying limestone, revealing the fossil in extraordinary detail while preserving the delicate bones beneath.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Notogoneus osculus
LOCATION
Kemmerer, Wyoming
FORMATION
Green River Formation, 18 Inch Layer
SIZE
12.5" on 19.5 x 11.5" rock
CATEGORY
ITEM
#151602
GUARANTEE
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our specimens.