Notogoneus osculus

Notogoneus osculus Cope 1865

    Eocene

    Ypresian

    Kemmerer

    USA

    Length 42cm / 17"

    Notogoneus osculus (Latin from "little mouth") was a bottom feeder, spending most of its live in the rivers that fed Fossil Lake and only entered the lake during certain seasons when the bottom waters were nontoxic. Hence Notogoneus is uncommon in the Green River Formation. Average size is around 18 inches, maximum length is 3 feet. Small specimens are extremely rare. It was a predatory creature and would have fed off of creatures on or near the bottom of its habitat, likely at night.  It resembled a modern day sucker fish.

    Lit.:  Grande, Lance; Grande, Terry REDESCRIPTION OF THE TYPE SPECIES FOR THE GENUS NOTOGONEUS (TELEOSTEI: GONORYNCHIDAE) BASED ON NEW, WELL-PRESERVED MATERIAL. Journal of Paleontology September 1, 2008

    Perkins, P. (1970). Notogoneus osculus Cope, an Eocene Fish from Wyoming (Gonorynchiformes, Gonorynchidae). Peabody Museum of Natural History, Postilla Number 147.