Fishes

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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.