Dapedium micans
An extinct species of neoptergian fish (part of the ray-finned fish group Actinopterygi) which lived in the Late Triassic to the Middle Jurassic (~230 - 160 Mya). The most distinctive part of this specimen is the squamation (scales) consisting of thick enamel-like scales called ganoids, providing protection. This species had a protrusible jaw with a wide gape, perfect for grasping prey targeting small hard-bodied organisms such as molluscs. The only complete Yorkshire Dapedium kn
Perhaps some of the most stunningly preserved Jurassic fossils of Yorkshire, the fishes of Whitby have a distinctive 3D preservation and a non-trvial resemblence to the famous Whitby jet. This is due to the striking black scales of fish like Lepidotes semiserratus, an extinct genus of actinopterygian fish (ray-finned fish) which lived throughout the Mesozoic. They are identified by their distinctive rhomboid-shaped scales made from an enamel-like material called ganoine which glows a distinct orange under ultraviolet light. They have rounded teeth for crushing hard bodied prey - a diet known as durophagy. Our specimen is missing its tail as the person who collected it smashed through the back end before they realised it was there while mining a strip of Whitby jet.