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When do the fossil records of lophiiform fishes begin?

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paracanthopterygian Oyster toadfish (*Opsanus tau*).

The fossil records of lophiiform fishes (anglerfishes) begin in the Eocene Epoch, which occurred between 56 million and 34 million years ago.1

Specifically, fossil evidence for this order includes two species discovered in Eocene marine deposits in Europe, one of which has been identified as a goosefish (family Lophiidae) and the other as a frogfish (family Antennariidae). Additional fossil records for the order include a species from Pliocene marine deposits in North Africa.1