Mioplosis labracoides 13

Age: Eocene (50m years old)

Fossil site: Green river formation, Wyoming, USA

Description: This fossil plate comes from the world famous Laggerstatten Green river in the USA.
The site produces a large extent of soft tissue preservation as evidenced in these fish.

Mioplosis labrocoides is an ancestor of the Perch, and was a voracious predator. Often they can be found in the fossil record eating other fish.
It is easily identified by its elongated shape and canine-like teeth.

The preservation here is superb, with an impression of scales and the dark body is a wonderful counter point to the light matrix.

During the Eocene the region was sub tropical to temperate.