Exquisitely Ornamented Ranina Fossil Crab from Tuscany

Ranina sp.

(De Haan, 1839)

Class Malacostraca, Order Decapoda, Suborder Pleocyemata, Infraorder Brachyura, Superfamily Raninoidea, Family Raninidae

Geological Time: Eocene

Size: Crab fossil is 63 mm in length and 47 mm in width by 43 mm in depth.

Fossil Site: Tuscany, Italy

Fossil Code: PFD68

Price: $1000.00 - sold


Ranina Fossil CrabDescription: In March and July of 2008 I had the unique privilege of purchasing two large lots from a most important collection. The collector had painstakingly accumulated a superb group of decapods, echinoderms and other fossils during a twenty-year period. The vast majority of the specimens came from self-collecting, academic resources, trading, and selected purchases. Very few of fossils came from the normal channels of trade shows and commercial internet resources. Any specimen presented under this introductory paragraph will generally be a superior grade fossil; be it of rarity, preservation, or, both.

Ranina is one of the most coveted of all fossil crab genuses. The genus is easily identified by it’s ornate elongated carapace and claws. This one has all of it’s dorsal carapace intact, as well as mouth parts, both arms, and pincers. Note how well the back legs are preserved in a life-like position. This is simply a superb specimen. This would be a wonderful acquisition for the species collector of decopods.

Today the genus has only one species, Ranina ranina limited to the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

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