Protopsephurus liui
Early Cretaceous
Yixian Formation
Lingyuan County, China.

Huge 650mm (2.1 foot!) example of the earliest known paddlefish on 710mm (2.3 foot) slab.  A beautiful display with exquisite detail. Easily one of the best fossil fish we have ever had.

Fish. Polyodontidae

Protopsephurus is an extinct genus of paddlefish known only from the Early Cretaceous of China and is among the largest documented Cretaceous freshwater fishes.

Two genera of paddlefishes survived into modern times but it appears the one known in China may be extinct (no sightings in the wild for over 15 years). The remaining genus is native to the Mississippi River Basin.  Once ranging into Canada, it may be on the way to becoming endangered itself.  These fish can exceed five feet in length and weigh over 60 pounds.  Like gars, they have a strange look so it tends not to surprise anyone that they are the last of a line that appeared during the time of the dinosaurs.

Here the lovely Rapunzel holds an especially killer piece. It’s much older than the Green River paddlefish you sometimes see on the market and this one is easily as well-preserved as the best of those but specimens of this genus are even rarer.