Class Actinopterygii, Order Ctenothrissiformes, Family Ctenothrissidae

Geological Time: Middle Cretaceous, Cenomanian Stage

Size: 90 mm

Fossil Site: Lebanese Lagerstatt, Hajoula, Lebanon

This member of Order Ctenothrissiformes, Family Ctenothrissidae, Ctenothrissa is thought to have been a fish that lived among the coral reefs of the time. This Ctenothrissa fossil is well-centered on its bublithographic limestone matrix, with the dramatic dorsal, pectoral, and ventral fins in a fine state of preservation. What makes this one notable is that both the part and conterpart have been preserved with much soft tissues, with the matrix split exactly on the plane of the fish, giving you a exquisitely matched pair of specimens. The genus died out during the Upper Cretaceous, leaving no descendants.