Lycoptera

Lycoptera is a genus of the Osteichthyes. Lycoptera species were small freshwater fish (approximately 5–12 cm long), and the head’s length and height were similar. They had large eyes, and their dorsal fins were close to the back with 43–50 spine segments. The tails were orthomorphic, and their caudal vertebras pointed upwards. Lycoptera fossils have mainly been found in the Late Jurassic lacustrine sedimentary rocks in Liaoning Province, Inner Mongolia, Hebei Province, Shandong Province and Gansu Province. These fossils often appear in a group in the same layer of shale. Collectors put higher value on fossils in swarms with natural forms, in regular arrays, with clear structures and contrasting colours with the surrounding rocks. Lycoptera fossils have additional value if they are in a symmetrical pair made up of both the fossil and the cast (Fig. 50).

Fig. 50

Lycoptera