Diplomystus dentatus

This is a 3 inch long Diplomystus dentatus. This is the first fossil fish I've ever owned and it holds a special place in my heart. These fish have an upturned mouth meaning they would have been surface feeders. The most notable feature of this specimen is the disarticulation of the skull area. You can see a large section of vertebrae has been completely sheared from the rest of the body. I believe this fish was scavenged by some sort of crustacean.