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When do the fossil records of gadiforms begin?

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paracanthopterygian Oyster toadfish (*Opsanus tau*).

Fossil records of gadiforms are primarily known from marine deposits in the Northern Hemisphere dating between 65.5 million and 2.6 million years ago. Specifically, a codlike fish fossil has been identified from the Paleocene (56 million to 65.5 million years ago). Additionally, fossil evidence in the form of ear stones (otoliths) and scales that are similar to those of modern gadiforms has been traced back to the Cretaceous period (146 million to 65.5 million years ago).1