''Qarmoutus hitanensis'' is an extinct ariid

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

whose fossils were first discovered in

Birket Qarun Formation The Birket Qarun Formation is an Eocene aged formation in Egypt. It is part of the famous Wadi al Hitan. Notable fossils include the ancient whales ''Basilosaurus'' and ''Dorudon'' as well as sirenians ''Eotheroides'' and ''Eosiren''. It also con ...

Wadi Al-Hitan ( ) is a paleontological site in the Faiyum Governorate of Egypt, some south-west of Cairo. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2005 for its hundreds of fossils of some of the earliest forms of whale, the archaeoceti (a now ...

, Egypt. It lived during the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

period around 37 million years ago, and its body length is estimated to be about 6.5 feet long.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q42266297 Eocene fish Eocene animals of Africa Fossil taxa described in 2017 Ariidae