Congratulations to VicPS member Marji Johns and her colleagues!
This month they published a research paper on the rare egg capsule discovered at Botanical Beach in 2022 by a citizen scientist. Paid members may read about the backstory on discovery of this specimen in the BCPA online journal at First Record of a late Eocene–early Oligocene chimaeroid fish egg – BC Paleontological Alliance.

In this just-published paper, Marji et al have identified the egg capsule to be from a long-nosed chimaeroid fish similar to today’s living ‘spookfish’, not a ratfish as surmised when it was collected. It’s a good reminder not to jump to conclusions about the identity of specimens we find, and to rely on experts to make the identification (ID is commonly a lengthy and detailed research process)!
This research also highlights the value of citizen scientists. In this case, the citizen scientist was visiting from the USA, saw an exceptional specimen in a BC park, took photos, and reached out to the proper authorities who then collaborated and collected the specimen carefully and legally.
The new paper, titled: ‘First chimeroid fish egg capsule (Chondrichthyes, Holocephali, Chimaeriformes) from upper Eocene Carmanah Group strata, West Coat of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada‘, is published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences.
The research paper citation is:
Johns, M.J., Fischer, J., Makahnouk, W.R.M., Nyborg, T., Deom, E., Bowen, D., and Bartlett, R. 2025. First chimaeroid fish egg capsule (Chondrichthyes, Holocephali, Chimaeriformes) from upper Eocene Carmanah Group strata, West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 62(5): 1013–1042 (2025) | dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2024-0096.
Copies of the paper can be obtained from the CJES at their web page (the link is: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjes-2024-0096 where there also is a large photo of the specimen) or by direct request for the research paper from Marji.
Congratulations Marji! We know how much work is involved in publishing, and VicPS is pleased to have played a small part in helping to retrieve the specimen from the beach.