Fossil of Pycnodus (also known as Pycnodus platessus), a genus of ray-finned fish that lived from early Cretaceous period unto the late Eocene epoch.

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Fossil of Pycnodus (also known as Pycnodus platessus), a genus of ray-finned fish that lived from early Cretaceous period unto the late Eocene epoch. They resemble fish types known as butterflyfish or angelfish. They belong to the Pycnodontidae family of fish which, as their name indicates, have jaws with closely set, knoblike teeth suitable for crushing hard prey like small mollusks. This fossil specimen, from Cretaceous deposits near Mte Bolca in Northern Italy, has a length of 14 cm.

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Photo credit: © DIRK WIERSMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: angelfish, animal, aquatic, biology, bolca, butterflyfish, cretaceous, eocene, fish, fossil, jaws, knoblike, knobs, marine, monte, platessus, pycnodont, pycnodontidae, ray-finned, teeth