Cretaceous Needle Fish Fossil Rhynchodercetis

A rarely seen member of the Order Aulopiformes, Family Dercetidae. It is a member of the bony fishes known as a “needle fish” due to its morphology. The upper and lower jaws have been extended into a rostrum; these fish were predators of smaller fish. At 203 mm in length, this is an adult example, one with preservation of fine detail. The genus went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous, passing the way of the dinosaurs. This one is similar to those from a laggerstat in Lebanon.

Also see: Actinopterygii Fish Fossils