Ampheristus toliapicus is a fascinating and rare fish from the London Clay and reflects the only ‘cusk-eel’ described.

The top of the skull is very distinctive versus other fish from the London clay – most notably for the presence of an enormous supraoccipital crest at the rear of the skull. The mouth opening is incredibly wide and many fossils have been found preserved with the jaws wide open. On the specimens I’ve examined, I’ve seen no evidence of teeth.

This image shows an extant Brotula cusk-eel, a modern relative to Ampheristus.