Three Detailed Fossil Fish (Knightia) - Wyoming

This trio of fossil fish (Knightia eocaena) from the Eocene-aged Green River Formation of Wyoming. It is nicely detailed and prepared with bone structure, overlapping scales, and fins visible. The largest of the three fish is 3.8" long and they are nicely presented on a 8.4 x 7" piece of shale.

This specimen includes an acrylic display stand.

About Knightia

Knightia is an extinct genus of small, schooling, ray-finned fish related to modern herrings and sardines. Abundant in the warm freshwater lakes of the Eocene Green River Formation, they fed on insects, plankton, and tiny fish, while serving as prey for nearly every larger predator in the ecosystem. The most common species, Knightia eocena, reached about 15 cm in length and is celebrated today as the state fossil of Wyoming.

These streamlined fish are recognized by their heavy scales, small conical teeth, and rows of dorsal and ventral scutes along the body. Their fossils are among the most iconic from the Green River Formation—an exceptional 48-million-year-old lake deposit in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah known for preserving a remarkably detailed snapshot of ancient life in a warm, lake-rich Eocene landscape.

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