Is this fossil fish real?

[dontom]

I was hoping I could get some feedback on whether this fossil is real or not.  The bones and scales definitely look real to me even under magnification. The thing that is throwing me is the matrix. It looks like plaster to me rather then rock.  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and if anyone knows the species that would be great as well. 

[Kane]

Topic moved to Is it Real.

 

@Fossildude19

[Fossildude19]

This is a real Mioplosus labricoides. Possibly poorly preserved, and was "added to" with a bit of paint. On the head and tail.

 

The Green River Formation quarries these come from are a very light colored limestone, soft and powdery, and easily damaged.

 

That strange area above the fish may have been repaired with either plaster or a slurry of the ground up matrix mixed with water or some sort of glue. 

 

 

 

Looks to me like the area just behind the eye may have been painted/reconstructed with some sort of fixative.

It definitely appears a lot of the tail and the head have been painted on/in.

This is a reverse color image, taken from one you provided.

 

Note the blue tinge to the scales in particular.  I think that means they are real, and all the white is painted on.

So the body is mostly real, and the head and the tail look to have been painted - either because they were very poorly preserved, or largely on the other side of the rock when it was split.

 

[dontom]

1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

This is a real Mioplosus labricoides. Possibly poorly preserved, and was "added to" with a bit of paint. On the head and tail.

 

The Green River Formation quarries these come from are a very light colored limestone, soft and powdery, and easily damaged.

 

That strange area above the fish may have been repaired with either plaster or a slurry of the ground up matrix mixed with water or some sort of glue. 

 

Looks to me like the area just behind the eye may have been painted/reconstructed with some sort of fixative.

It definitely appears a lot of the tail and the head have been painted on/in.

This is a reverse color image, taken from one you provided.

 

Note the blue tinge to the scales in particular.  I think that means they are real, and all the white is painted on.

 

So the body is mostly real, and the head and the tail look to have been painted - either because they were very poorly preserved, or largely on the other side of the rock when it was split.

 

 

 

Thank you very much for all the info and the time you spent to answer this so thoroughly.