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What are some unusual, and under-illustrated prehistoric fishes?


MrBones

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Hello! I have considered entering a competition on instagram. The competition requires you to create an accurate reconstruction of a lesser known prehistoric fish. The problem is that I am not so knowledgeable on prehistoric fishes, and I cannot name one that I haven't seen art for. I would like to study a fish, and hopefully create an accurate (or semi-accurate) reconstruction of that fish.

 

Here is the instagram post containing the rules for the contest. (Feel free to participate if you are up for the challenge.)

Screenshot_20210113-162155_Instagram.thumb.jpg.8de519c40fa0a2b1bc3c542ed67fcee1.jpg

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There really are a lot which makes it hard to choose one. I'm sure you'll get plenty of suggestions here. The fish that comes to my mind first are the cenezoic centrarchids of the genus Plioplarchus (septemspinosus, sexspinosus, and whitei). This is mostly because they were the first fish fossils I collected and there definitely isn't any art for them. Despite that there are some nice specimens posted online so you won't have difficulty getting a reference point.

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"Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;

Wrecked is the ship of pearl!

And every chambered cell,

Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" :ammonite01:

-From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes

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2 hours ago, yardrockpaleo said:

These sure are interesting! I've certainly never heard of them. I might choose one of these.

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I have chosen "Proscinetes elegans"

I will submit it tommorow.

It's probably riddled with inaccuracies, and weird anatomy, but I am quite proud of the end result. This has been great practice, I would appreciate any constructive criticisms.

sketch-1610645602204.thumb.png.9d2db692a18679eb6c6305fc982310d6.png

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You don't have to go back too far in time to find something interesting.  Consider the silver hatchetfish known from the Miocene of California, Argyropelecus, which still lives today.  Some specimens are beautifully preserved with most of those delicate bones still in place.  They are also interesting because the genus is more of a deepwater form.  Most fish fossils are of shallow water forms.  Someone made an interesting find of several specimens a year or two ago.  

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