Priscacara

Fossil of Priscacara liops

• Wyoming
• Horsefly Creek (British Columbia / Canada)

Priscacara was 50 million years ago during the Eocene living harshly related bone fish. It was first described in 1877 by Edward Drinker Cope. Fossils have been found mainly in the Green River Formation in Wyoming, but also at Horsefly Creek in British Columbia.

Features

Priscacara had a body length of about 15 centimeters. However, smaller only three inches long were found specimens, in exceptional cases, specimens with more than 15 centimeters. Priscacara had an oval, often almost round, laterally flattened body. The head was broad, eyes large. The jaw was short and had small, sharp teeth. The first dorsal fin was supported by spines, the second of branched soft rays. The anal fin was plump and was supported by three spines and soft rays branched. The Dorsal spines are not round in cross section, but have the rear side of the V -shaped notch on, a feature which is now leading with poison spines found in fish.

There are two main ways, Priscacara liops, who had 12 to 13 spines in the first dorsal fin and Priscacara serrata, whose slightly shorter first dorsal fin was supported 9-10 spines. Priscacara was a freshwater fish and lived in lakes and streams.

System

Priscacara was by some authors assigned the cod perch ( Percichthyidae ), a perch family that no longer exists in North America today. Others presented for the genus, the family of Wyoming perch ( Priscacaridae ) on, or took a family connection to the cichlids ( Cichlidae ) to. A study from the year 2010 comes to the conclusion that they are classified in the sea bass ( Moronidae ).