Beryciformes are a marine, carnivorous Order of Ray-finned fish which first appeared in the Late Cretaceous and continue to thrive with 161 modern extant species including Soldierfish, Squirrelfish and Pricklefish fishes.

Modern Beryciformes live in tropical or temperate environments and are mostly nocturnal, deep sea dwellers. Within the London Clay, there are 3 known genus – Naupygus, Argilloberyx and Paraberyx. Myripristis toliapicus was included but this has now been shown to be the same as Sciaenurus bowerbanki.

This is an artistic reconstruction of Naupygus bucklandi searching the sea floor for crustacean like Mithracia libinioides