Unusually Well-Preserved Solnhofen Squid Fossil with Tentacles

Description: This is an exceptionally well-preserved specimen on an uncommon Solnhofen fossil squid. It is a quite large, and impressively presented on its solid lithograhic limestone plate. Note that many of the arms and tentacles are preserved. I am not 100% sure, but I believe the ink sac is also preserved.

Squid are marine cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles arranged in pairs. (The only known exception is the bigfin squid group, which have ten very long, thin arms of equal length.) The shell of the ancestor has been lost, with only an internal gladius, or pen, remaining. The pen is a feather-shaped internal structure which supports the squid's mantle and serves as a site for muscle attachment. It is made of a chitin-like substance. The main body mass of the squid is enclosed in the mantle, which has a swimming fin along each side. It should be noted that these fins, unlike in other marine organisms, are not the main source of propulsion in most species.

This spectacular fossil comes from the famous Lagerstätte, the lithographic limestone Solnhofen deposits of Germany. These 150 million year old deposits are famous for their exceptionally well-preserved and diverse organisms, the most famous of which are the handful of specimens of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx.