Primitive fish fossils found in Australia's outback

The discovery of 100 million-year-old fish fossils in Queensland's outback gives a remarkable insight into inhabitants of Australia's ancient inland sea, a paleontologist says.

The skull of a Cooyoo fossil, a massive primitive fish dating back to 100 million years 
[Credit: PR Image]

The fossils were unearthed on a farm near Julia Creek earlier this month and have just gone on display at Richmond's Kronosaurus Korner museum.

The fossils include the huge eye-socket of a primitive fish called the cooyoo and the skeletons of 20 to 30 diminutive fishes.

Paleontologist Dr Timothy Holland said the cooyoo discovery was significant as it showed the species' teeth were two centimetres long, much bigger than previously thought.

"It suggests the cooyoo was probably targeting large fish ... it's teeth were well adapted for latching onto slippery prey," the Kronosaurus Korner curator told AAP.

The fossil was found on a property near Julia Creek in outback Queensland 
[Credit: PR Image]

The fish was also more than three metres in length and had a powerful tail that made it look like the "tarpon from hell", he said.

The discovery of the fish skeletons, each measuring three to four centimetres, is also remarkable as it's the best preserved example of smaller fish from Australia's ancient inland sea.

"They never come whole, so finding one of these fish would have been exciting but we have 30 of them protected inside a clam shell," Dr Holland said.

The discoveries were made on Proa Redclaw Farm after landowners Duncan and Judy Fysh invited representatives from Kronosaurus Korner onto the property.

The fossils give a remarkable insight into inhabitants of Australia's ancient inland sea, 
say paleontologists [Credit: PR Image]

Among them was Dr Holland, who said he screamed when he found the cooyoo eye-socket while turning over pieces of mudstone.

The fish skeletons were found about 50 metres away, while another piece of cooyoo was found at a local dump last Wednesday.

The fossils are just some of the prehistoric marine creatures to have been unearthed in the Richmond area in recent years.

The town is one of the star attractions on Australia's dinosaur trail.

Source: AAP [July 20, 2015]