Cheirolepis trailli
Devonian (Eifelian)
Lower Caithness Flagstone Group, Achanarras Limestone
Sandwick Fish Bed, Achanarras Horizon, Quoylou, Scotland.
Huge 250mm fish on 390mm slab. Minor crack repair.

Fish. Osteolepid. Lobe-fin. Lobe-finned

Gyroptychius has been called a “lungfish” but it is actually a genus in the extinct family Osteolepidae, which is closer to the ancestry of amphibians than lungfishes.  It’s a lesser-known relative of Osteolepis which is also known from the same beds.

Here the lovely Melba presents an ancient yet relatable specimen – something that represents a lineage of fishes near our own distant ancestors.