Knightia

Knightia Fossil range: Eocene
Scientific classification
Order:	Clupeiformes
Family:	Clupeidae
Genus:	Knightia
Species:	K. alta K. eocaena K. vetusta

Knightia is an extinct genus of freshwater herring found in the Green River Formation of Wyoming, USA. They are well known across the world due to the extreme abundance of their fossils. Knightia existed 50-40 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. Hundreds of these fish can be found in a square yard of fossiliferous rock. Knightia typically grew around 3-5 inches (7.7-12.7 centimeters), and exceptionally large Knightia specimens have been recorded at 11 inches (28 centimeters) in length. During life they ate little arthopods, algae, the occasional baby fish, or anything they can fish into their tiny mouths. On the contrary, many Green River creatures ate them. Knightias were an important food source for larger fish, birds, snakes, turtles, and others. Suggested by mass mortality plates and modern behavior of herring, these fish lived in large shoals. Knightia is also Wyoming's state fossil.

SpeciesEdit

There are three known species in the Knightia genus.