In an Australian first, a team of scientists led by Australian Museum and UNSW Sydney palaeontologist, Dr Matthew McCurry, have described a new species of 15-million-year-old fossilised freshwater fish, Ferruaspis brocksi, that shows preserved stomach contents as well as the pattern of colouration. The research is published today in The Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology.
Named after Professor Jochen J. Brocks from the Australian National University, who discovered several of the fossilised species at the Australian Museum's, McGraths Flat fossil site near Gulgong, NSW, Ferruaspis brocksi is the first fossil freshwater smelt (order Osmeriformes) to be found in Australia.
Dr McCurry, the lead author of the paper, said that before this fossil discovery scientists lacked concrete evidence to pinpoint when this group of fish arrived in Australia and how they evolved over time.
"The discovery of the 15 million-year-old freshwater fish fossil offers us an unprecedented opportunity to understand Australia's ancient ecosystems and the evolution of its fish species, specifically the Osmeriformes group during the Miocene epoch, 11-15 million years ago," McCurry said.
"Osmeriformes are a diverse group of fish within Australia which includes species like the Australian Grayling and the Australian Smelt. But, without fossils it has been hard for us to tell exactly when the group arrived in Australia and whether they changed at all through time," McCurry said.
"Not only does this fossil provide a unique snapshot into the environment it lived in the Central Tablelands, but also because its stomach contents are so well preserved it allows us a glimpse into the behaviour of these ancient species. We now know that they fed on a range of invertebrates, but the most common prey was small phantom midge larvae," McCurry said.
"One of the fossils even shows a parasite attached to the tail of the fish. It's a juvenile freshwater mussel called a glochidium. These juvenile mussels attach themselves to the gills or tails of fish to hitch rides up and down streams," McCurry added.
The species was named Ferruaspis brocksi because it was found encased in iron-rich rock. "Ferru," from ferrum (Latin), meaning "iron," and "brocksi," after Professor Jochen J. Brocks of Canberra, Australia.
Acknowledging this honour, Professor Brocks said he was thrilled to have this superb specimen named after him.
"Collecting fossils at McGrath Flat is a highlight for me every year. Splitting the rust-red slabs of rock is like opening an ancient book, revealing the creatures that inhabited an Australian oxbow lake some 15 million years ago. This little fish is one of the most beautiful fossils there, and finding the first vertebrate among the abundant plant and insect fossils was a real surprise. Having F. brocksi named after me is a real joy," Professor Brocks said.
Dr Michael Frese, a researcher from the University of Canberra and CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, said that one of the most exciting aspects of the work was that they could tell the colour of the fish.
"The fish was darker on its dorsal surface, lighter in colour on its belly and had two lateral stripes running along its side," Dr Frese said.
"Using a powerful microscope, we were able to see tiny colour-producing structures known as melanosomes. Fossilised melanosomes have previously enabled palaeontologists to reconstruct the colour of feathers, but melanosomes have never been used to reconstruction of the colour pattern of a long extinct fish species," Dr Frese said.
Director and Chief Scientist, Australian Museum Research Institute, Professor Kris Helgen said, "Dr Matt McCurry's work at the McGraths Flat fossil site has been outstanding. This is one of many discoveries made at this site, which continues to play a significant role in advancing our understanding of Australia's evolution during the Miocene era."
The AM's new fossil site, McGraths Flat, is located in the Central Tablelands, NSW near the town of Gulgong. It represents one of only a handful of fossil sites in Australia that can be classified as a ' Lagerstätte '– a site that contains fossils of exceptional quality with remarkable detail.
Dr Matt McCurry's work at the McGraths Flat fossil site has been outstanding. This is one of many discoveries made at this site, which continues to play a significant role in advancing our understanding of Australia's evolution during the Miocene era."
"The fossils formed between 11 and 16 million years ago and provide a window into the past. They prove that the area was once a temperate wet rainforest and that life was rich and abundant in the Central Tablelands, NSW," McCurry explained.
The initial McGraths Flat expedition in 2017 was funded through a generous donation from a descendant of Robert Etheridge, an English palaeontologist who came to Australia in 1866. Etheridge joined the fledging Australian Museum in 1887 as assistant palaeontologist and in 1895 was made curator of the museum. Under Etheridge the AM's collections were greatly enhanced and he also launched a programme of expeditions – the first being to Lord Howe Island – which continues to this day.
To download images, biographies, footage and research paper.
Originally published by Australian Museum.
