Extinct Order Macrosemiiformes Fish Fossil

Description: Moroccan Cretaceous fossil fish have only recently been offered to collectors. This fish is apparently new to the fossil world this year. I have not seen them available prior to my trip to the Tucson Fossil show this year, 2011. Note the superior preservation of the bony parts of the head, well-preserved fins and vertebrae. The straight pocket comb like dorsal fin makes it instantly recognizable. On this one it is not well preserved, hence, a lower asking price.

Macrosemiiformes is an extinct order of bony fish with one family, Macrosemiidae. The group evolved during the Late Triassic and disappeared during the Late Cretaceous. The group has been found in rock formations in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. It's very similar to Petalopteryx syriacus from the Upper Cretaceous of Lebanon.