Rare Palaeobalistum sp. Fossil Fish

 

Name: Palaeobalistum sp.

Age: Middle Cretaceous, Cenomanian Stage

Size: Palaeobalistum is 7 1/2 inchs long on an 8 by 9 inch matrix

Location: Sublithographic Limestone of HAQEL, Lebanon

Code: 2946

Price: $1500 - Sold

The Cenomanian (97.5 - 91 million year old) sublithographic limestone deposits of HAQEL, Lebanon rival the Eocene (50 million year old) deposits of Wyoming for the degree of preservation and variety of fish to be found. The other lifeforms found with them are indicative of a warm and shallow sea environment. The deposits themselves are found in basins only a few hundred meters across, and are indicative of slow deposition during a stagnant stage. They are currently to be found at depths up to 800 feet.

This rare Palaeobalistum, a member of the Order Pycnodontiformes, comes from the region near Hajoula, Lebanon. It has also been called Palaeobalistes, referring to its resemblance to Balistes, the modern-day triggerfish. It measures 2.5 inches in length. This is a spectacularly fine, very well-preserved individual, with exquisite preservational detail in both the body and fin rays. Notice the preservation of the crusher teeth that are indicative of a durophagous diet. Like the triggerfish of today, these probably fed on crabs, shrimp, sea urchins, and starfish. Unike most all fish from Lebanon, which went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous, this genus survived another 45 million years, going extinct in the Eocene.


EDCOPE Enterprises Purchase

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