Australosomus merlei - Fish

[Yoda]

Another fish of interest.

 

Being sold as a Madagascan Triassic Fish - Australosomus merlei 7cm (and a small piece of fossilised wood.) 

 

 

Is this rare / unusual?

And real? 

 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Yes, this is real.  At least from what I can tell from the tiny picture. 

These concretions come from the Triassic of Madagascar. 

I do have some reservations on whether the fins have been painted on.  

Better pictures would help to clear that up. 

 

As for rarity, these are not particularly rare.

There are a number of them for sale on-line at any time.

Finding them well preserved is a bit more of a rarity. 

Again, better pictures could help. 

 

[Fossildude19]

Doing an image search, I was able to find the fossil in question. 

It is totally real. The fish seems to have been slightly twisted in front when it was buried, and you can see the two pectoral fins, as well as some of the under jaw of the skull. 

Kind of a 3/4 view. 

 

   

 

 

[caldigger]

I think this fish has been enhanced. The silhouette/ shading of the fishes outline body is not typical of these nodules. It looks as if the person that prepped this piece has colored in the fishes body form ( a common practice on GRF ) along the impression to show the fish body shape.

Here is an image captured off the net to show what you would normally find in a split nodule.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I think it's a reasonable fishy.

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, caldigger said:

I think this fish has been enhanced. The silhouette/ shading of the fishes outline body is not typical of these nodules. It looks as if the person that prepped this piece has colored in the fishes body form ( a common practice on GRF ) along the impression to show the fish body shape.

Here is an image captured off the net to show what you would normally find in a split nodule.

 

That is a good point Doren. 

Although the colors can go that dark on occasion, I think you are correct in this instance. Still, not a bad fish, despite the "enhancement" .  

Here is one from Oilshale's gallery:

 

 

EDIT: to add link to gallery.

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

Yes I agree. It is definitely an Australosomus merlei, from Ambilobe, North West of Madagascar.

 

For comparison, here is a specimen that is deposited in my private collection:

 

 

In this photo, after being prepared by me:

 

 

And here, a reconstitution of the probable appearance of the fish when it lived:

 

 

Australosomus was a micro-carnivorous fish that lived between the Lower Triassic and the Middle Triassic - between 250 and 235 million years ago. It is an endemic species, that is, your fossils can only be found in Madagascar, although other species belonging to the same genus Australosomus have also been discovered in Greenland, Africa, British Columbia and Vancouver.

 

[Yoda]

Thanks everyone for their input.

 

I just have to decide between this one and the piece from Lebanon in the other thread.

Thoughts?