Skip to content
Juvenile Notogoneus osculus | Green River Formation | Wyoming

Juvenile Notogoneus osculus | Green River Formation | Wyoming

by In Stone Fossils
$1,200.00 - $1,200.00
$1,200.00
$1,200.00 - $1,200.00
$1,200.00

Notogoneus osculus
Eocene (51.98 Million Years Ago)
Private Quarry, Green River Formation, Wyoming, USA
Obtained from the collection of Dr. William Rieger

 

Specimen approx. size: 7.25"

Matrix approx. size: 12" x 10"

This piece has had minimal restoration.

 

Beaked Sandfish - Notogoneus osculus

Order Gonorynchiformes, Family Gonorynchidae

Notogoneus osculus was the final North American member of the Gonorynchidae family. There are 5 modern species within the family that inhabit tropical marine regions of the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Notogoneus did not have teeth; instead, it had a "beak" adapted for bottom feeding. This beaked mouth was well-suited for its bottom-feeding and scavenging lifestyle.

Fossils of Notogoneus found in Fossil Lake show two distinct size distributions:

  • Fry (juveniles): range from 1"-2" in length.
  • Adults: range from 10"-35" in length. The average size for an adult specimen is around 18".

Specimens of intermediate size are notably rare in Fossil Lake. This is thought to indicate that Notogoneus was a migratory species. It might have hatched in Fossil Lake, migrated to connecting streams or rivers for development, then returned as adults to spawn and perish in deep-water zones. The large adult fossils are found almost exclusively in the 18-inch layer.

Book Now