# Puente Formation

The Puente Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back to the middle to upper Miocene epoch of the Neogene period, most of which were deposited in a deepwater environment. Owing to its depositional environment, it is one of the very few geologic formations to preserve articulated specimens of fossilized deep-sea anglerfish.
As its name suggests, it primarily outcrops in the Puente Hills.

## Paleoecology

The Yorba Member of the Puente Formation preserves some of the world's only known fossils of deep-sea anglerfish, most of which were discovered during the construction of a rail line. These anglerfish are assigned to several genera and species that inhabit hypoxic, upwelling-influenced subtropical and tropical environments in the eastern Pacific today, suggesting that the composition of these ecological communities has changed little in the time since the deposition of this formation. These taxa are not found off the coast of California today, suggesting that the region was much warmer and more tropical during the late Miocene. The minimum depth of this depositional environment would have been about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep.

## Paleobiota
### Ray-finned fish

Based on Fierstine et al (2012):
| Genus | Species | Location | Member | Material | Notes |
| Acentrophryne | A. sp. | City of Industry, Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | Yorba | Articulated skeleton | An leftvent deep-sea anglerfish. |
| Acipenseridae indet. | | | | Subopercule | A sturgeon of uncertain affinities. |
| Argentina | A. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | "Remains" | A herring smelt. |
| Argyropelecus | A. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A marine hatchetfish. |
| Atherinops | A. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A Neotropical silverside related to the modern topsmelt silverside. |
| Atherinopsis | A. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A Neotropical silverside related to the modern jack silverside. |
| Bathylaginae indet. | | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A deep-sea smelt. |
| Borophryne | B. cf. apogon | LACM Locality 6202 | Yorba | Complete articulated skeleton | A leftvent deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern netdevil. |
| Chaenophryne | C. aff. melanorhabdus | LACM Locality 6202 | Yorba | 4 complete articulated skeletons | An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish, potential affinities to the modern smooth dreamer. |
| Chauliodus | C. eximius | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A viperfish. |
| Cyclothone | C. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A bristlemouth. |
| Decapterus | D. cf. hopkinsi | Continental Oil Company “Turnbull” well number 3 | Lower | One scale; lost | A scad. |
| Decapterus | D. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A scad. |
| Etringus | E. scintillans | Puente Hills | | Two scales; lost | A herring. |
| Ganoessus | G. clepsydra | Featherstone Quarry | | Unknown | A herring. |
| Ganoessus | G. meiklejohni | Featherstone Quarry | | Articulated skeleton | A herring. |
| Ganolytes | G. cameo | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A herring. |
| Genyonemus | G. whistleri | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Partial articulated specimen. | A drumfish related to the white croaker. |
| Lampanyctus | L. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | ">100 otoliths and several skeletal imprints with otoliths" | A lanternfish. |
| Leptacanthichthys | L. cf. gracilispinis | LACM Locality 6202 | Yorba | Articulated skeleton | An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern plainchin dreamarm. |
| Linophryne | L. cf. indica | LACM Locality 6202 | Yorba | Articulated skeleton | A leftvent deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern headlight angler. |
| Lompoquia | L. sp. | | Upper | Unknown | A drumfish. |
| Molidae indet. | | | | | An ocean sunfish of uncertain affinities. |
| Moridae indet. | | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A codling of uncertain affinities. |
| Oneirodes | O. sp. | LACM Locality 6202 | Yorba | Articulated incomplete skeleton | An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish. |
| Paralabrax | P. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A sand bass. |
| Pseudoseriola | P. gilliandi | | | | A relative of the bluefish. |
| Sarda | S. stockii | Union Oil Company “Chapman” well number 29 | Lower | 2 scales | A bonito. |
| Scomber | S. cf. japonicus | Continental Oil Company “Turnbull” well number 3 | Lower | 1 scale, lost | A mackerel, potentially referable to the modern chub mackerel. |
| Scomber | S. sp. | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A mackerel. |
| Seriphus | S. lavenbergi | City of Industry | Yorba | Disarticulated skull with otolith | A drumfish related to the queenfish. |
| Symphurus | S. sp. | Santiago Road Overcrossing | La Vida | 6 partial skeletons | A tonguefish. |
| Syngnathus | S. emeritus | San Dimas | | Several articulated skeletons | A pipefish. |
| Thyrsocles | T. kriegeri | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A euzaphlegid. |
| Xyne | X. grex | Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill | | Unknown | A herring. |
| ?Xyrinius | X. houshi | "Los Angeles" | | Unknown | A herring, from either the Monterey or Puente Formations. Potentially conspecific with Xyne grex. |
| Zanteclites | Z. hubbsi | Covina, El Modena | | 6 specimens | A Neotropical silverside. |