Mallotus Fossil fish in Concretion

Description: The Capelin Mallotus villosus still exists today, and is found in large schools in seas throughout the Northern Hemsiphere. They feed upon various types of plankton, and in turn serve as the premier forage fish for larger fish such as cod and halibut. Indeed, they are used as bait in cod fishing. They collect near Iceland in the Fall in huge numbers. The name Capelin is Old French for chaplain, referring to the cape-like fringes of elongated scales that spawning males develop. Villosus is Latin for hairy, also referring to these same scales. These specimens are preserved in a concretion, missing only the tail, but otherwise well preserved. It is typical of the specimens from this location, which is now off limits to collecting, making examples like this quite difficult to acquire.