Cockerellites is a genus of extinct temperate bass[1] described from early Eocene-aged fossils found in the Green River Formation of Wyoming.
The type species, C. liops, was originally named as a species of Priscacara by Edward Drinker Cope upon creating the genus in 1877,[4] but P. liops was moved to the newly created genus Cockerellites by D. Jordan and H. Hanibal in 1923.
[7] C. liops was originally seen as the most common species of Priscacara within the Green River lacustrine deposits, and at specific locations, it outnumbers P. serrata by over 3:1.
The two species differ in the number of dorsal and anal fin rays, as well as possibly a coarser serrated rear edge of the preopercle in P. serrata.
C. liops also has small conical teeth on the pharyngeal jaw, whereas P. serrata has large grinding tooth plates, suggesting a diet of snails and crustaceans.