Argyropelecus bullockii (David, 1943)

Upper Miocene
Monterey Formation
Santa Barbara County, California, USA

28mm hatchetfish on 85mm slab.

Argyropelecus is a genus of marine hatchetfish of the Family Sternopthychidae.  Today, species of this genus of this genus frequent warm to temperate waters.

The earliest fossil occurrence of Argyropelecus is Oligocene with one questionable Eocene occurrence.

Here’s a nice essentially-complete specimen. First we have ever seen from California.