Re: Larval fish fossils (posted for R. Biaggi)

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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 1995 15:43:30 -0700 (MST)
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To: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk
From: rbiaggi@primenet.com (Roberto E. Biaggi)
Subject: Re: Larval fish fossils
Status: O

>Has anyone heard of or found fossil evidence of larval fishes?  Since
>cartilage would not readily fossilize they are probably very rare.  But under
>quiet, anoxic  conditions they should survive.

In the Eocene Green River Formation there have been found abundant
specimens of the extinct Clupeomorph Diplomystus at various developmental
states:  from embryo still in the egg, thru various unossified juvenile
stages and ossified juveniles.  These occur in laminated carbonate shales
from extinct Fossil Lake (SW Wyoming). Other unossified juveniles and
embryos (herrings Knightia/Gosiutichthys) have been found in the Green
River Basin (extinct lake Gosiute).

Check out:  Grande, L., 1984, Paleontology of the Green River Formation,
with a review of the fish fauna, The Geological Survey of Wyoming, Bulletin
63, 333p;  figures of embryo in egg and unossified juvenile on page 101.
Also, Buchheim, H.P. and Surdam, R.C., 1981, Paleoenvironments and fossil
fish of the Laney Member, Green River Formation, Wyoming, in: Gray, J., et
al, eds., Communities of the Past, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Dowden,
Hutchinson Ross Company, p. 415-452.

Hope this is of use,
Happy Holidays,
Roberto