Fish

Home

Remains of different fish species are comparably abundant in marine, fluvial or lake sediments. But most often one only finds isolated parts like scales and teeth. The stable skeletal elements of chondrosteans absolutely dominate among the findings, but the characteristic hollow fin bones of crossopterygians and the tooth plates of lung fish (Ceratodus) are also not that rare in some layers. Sharks are represented by isolated teeth and fin stings.

From the sediments of drained lakes of the Bunter time, well-preserved specimens of fresh water fish like Eosemionotus are known. Findings in the Muschelkalk are limited to isolated parts that are often accumulated in lumachelles and bonebeds. The Upper Muschelkalk contains nodules that, in rare cases, can bear more or less entirely preserved fish specimens. The formation of the nodule was initiated and controlled by the decay of the body's soft parts, therefore fins are often not enclosed within this nodules. The Muschelkalk/Keuper Grenzbonebed contains a mixture of marine and fresh water species and offers a good overview over the ancient fish fauna: Colobodus, Saurichthys, Palaeobates, Acrodus, Polyacrodus, Hybodus, Ceratodus and fin rays from crossopterygians as well as scales from peltopleurids. The marine dolomites of the Lower Keuper have a similar fauna. Interlaced clays and mudstones can bear small, entirely preserved fish of the peltopleurid group. From the Stubensandstein of the Middle Keuper, complete specimens of Semionotus are known. Marine specimens dominate the Rhaetian bonebed of the Upper Keuper, similar to the Grenzbonebed, and there are also tooth plates from Ceratodus.


Acrodus sp., tooth

Upper Muschelkalk (semipartitus beds), Nitzenhausen


Colobodus sp.

Plate with remains of 9 individuals

Norian (Hauptdolomit), Hallein (A)


Colobodus sp.

Isolated upper jaw with round teeth

Lower Keuper (Grenzbonebed), Crailsheim


Unknown jaw with teeth

Lower Keuper, Rielingshausen


Saurichthys sp., tooth

Lower Keuper (Vitriolschiefer), Kirchberg/Jagst


Palaeobates angustissimus (AGASSIZ), tooth plate

Lower Keuper, Bretzfeld


Polyacrodus polycyphus AGASSIZ, tooth

Lower Keuper (Anthrakonitbank), Kirchberg/Jagst


Hybodus longiconus AGASSIZ

An execptionally large specimen!

Upper Muschelkalk, Ludwigsburg


Hybodus sp., tooth

Lower Keuper (Vitriolschiefer), Kirchberg/Jagst


Hybodus tenuis AGASSIZ, fin sting

Lower Keuper, Zwingelhausen


Ceratodus kaupi AGASSIZ, tooth plate

Lower Keuper (Grenzbonebed), Zwingelhausen


Peltopleurus sp.

Nearly complete specimen

Lower Keuper, Zwingelhausen


Scale length, if not otherwise stated: 1 cm