Well Preserved 5.3" Priscacara Fossil Fish

Well Preserved Priscacara Fossil Fish #7526

This is a very nice example of Cockerellites liops from the 48 million year old Green River Formation of Wyoming. It was collected from Warfield's Quarry near Kemmerer, and expertly prepared. At 5.3 inches long it's above average size for the fish and this specimen is much better preserved than most. It's aesthetically presented on a 6.3x5.5", squared off piece of matrix that displays well with the included acrylic display stand.

Cockerellites liops is a species of extinct temperate bass found in the Eocene aged Green River Formation of Wyoming. It is characterized by a sunfish-like body and its stout dorsal and anal spines. It was originally placed in the Priscacara genus but was moved to the newly created genus Cockerellites by D. Jordan and H. Hanibal in 1923. There is still some debate among researchers about whether this new genus is valid.

Cockerellites is found in large numbers in mid-lake deposits, representing 5 to 20 percent of the fish unearthed, depending on the layer. It is considerably rarer in shoreline deposits, representing only 1 to 2 percent of the fish found. Because of this, Cockerellites is thought to have been a schooling fish. Fossils have been found at a maximum size of about six inches, but they rarely exceed five inches in length.

At first glance, Cockerellites liops has a very similar appearance to the rarer species Priscacara. Size can often be used as a differentiator, since Cockerellites did not exceed 6 inches while Priscacara serrata is typically found in excess of 6 inches. Cockerellites also has more dorsal and anal fin rays than Priscacara and a much smaller mouth.

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