A newly discovered fossil species — Ferruaspis brocksi, unearthed in McGraths Flat, New South Wales — provides a stunning glimpse into Australia's freshwater ecosystems 15 million years ago.
The fossil is remarkably well-preserved, allowing scientists to reconstruct not just the fish’s appearance, but also its behavior and interactions within its environment.
The fish featured countershading camouflage with visible stripes — an adaptation for avoiding predators from above and below.
Its digestive tract contained chironomid larvae, revealing its diet and role in the local food web.
Most remarkably, a parasitic freshwater mussel was attached to its tail fin — the first such case recorded in the fossil record.
Classified under a new family, Ferruaspidae, the fish is named after Professor Jochen J. Brocks and the iron-rich layers (ferrum meaning iron in Latin) from which it was extracted.
This discovery challenges prior assumptions about freshwater adaptation in Osmeriformes, suggesting that this evolutionary shift occurred multiple times independently in Australia.
🌿 Ferruaspis brocksi is more than a fossil — it’s a snapshot of an ancient aquatic world, preserving an entire ecosystem in time. It reminds us of the delicate interconnectedness of life, past and present.