Image: courtesy of British Geological Survey
Palaeoniscum
What was it?
A early ray-finned bony fish, with hard scales and sharp teeth. It was between 10 and 30cm long. Ray-finned fish account for 99% of the 30,000 species of fish alive today.
How old is it?
Palaeoniscum lived around 260 million years ago in the Permian period.
Where did it live?
It swam in a shallow sea and was a predator, hunting other small fish and animals.
Where are the fossils found?
They are found in a layer of rock which used to be called the Marl Slate. It is a grey shaley rock which was once a mud on the bottom of a shallow sea. It splits easily into flat fragments which is where you might find the flattened remains of the fish fossils. One place where the Marl Slate is exposed is in the little cliff near Cullercoats South Pier. Lots of fossils of this fish are also found in County Durham.
Are these animals still alive today?
No this fish became extinct but its relatives are all the ray-finned fish alive today.