Fish Fossil – Syngnathus sp. (Pipefish)
Pipefish are a widespread group of tropical marine and freshwater fish most closely related to the more well-known seahorses. Their unique elongated and heavily armored bodies along with their tube-like snouts make pipefish, both extinct and modern, almost unmistakable for any other species. These well preserved and larger-sized fossils originate from the Monterey Formation in California, from the middle Miocene around 12-16 million years ago. Each specimen is expertly prepared, several include multiple pipefish specimens on the same slab.
This Fossil has been broken and repaired, see photo for small but visible crack in slab
