Could This Be A Little Fish Skull?

[claire01]

It's Approx. 1.5 x 1 inch, a little larger than a quarter.

Side A:

Side B:

Back:

Front:

Thanks, you guys

[FossilDAWG]

I would call that a fish skull, yes.

Don

[claire01]

Thanks, Don. I didn't think so until I got a better look at the back side under my magnifying glass. Is it possible to tell what fish it is?

[FossilDAWG]

I would think it could be ID'd, hopefully some folks with experience in Britton Formation/Eagle Ford fossil fish will weigh in. I can see what looks like the opercular and preopercular bone in photos 1 and 2, and the shape of those should be diagnostic. I think the skull is upside down in those photos, as I can see what look like gular plates, which occupy the underside of the head. Unless there is matrix covering the top of the skull, I think most of the bones above the orbits (eyes) are worn away. It's a very cool specimen, I would have been quite excited to find it.

Don

[claire01]

Whoops, sorry, I didn't realize I had it upside down! Thank you for taking the time to have a look, Don

[John Hamilton]

Your fish skull is a whale compared to these fish skull elements from the Miocene, St. Marys formation of Maryland. The scale is in mm.

[claire01]

Those are amazing, John!