Mioplosus labracoides | Unrestored Fossil Fish | Wyoming

Some of the fossil preservation on the skin area under the belly and behind was not adequately replaced by minerals. Sometimes during decomposition, some scales float away before they're fully preserved by the covering of soft silt at the bottom of the lake. This is a perfect example of that- so no restoration is required here. 

Order Perciformes

• Family Latidae - M. labracoides

M. labracoides specimens:

• are characterized by 2 dorsal fins and a forked tail
• known to reach 20 inches
• juveniles commonly found in mass mortalities and adults found alone, indicating M. labracoides traveled in schools as a juvenile and became solitary as an adult
• juvenile and adult specimens often found preserved with smaller fish in the jaw or stomach