Rare Monte Bolca Mene rhombea Fish Fossil

Description: This 45 million year old, Eocene-Era fossil fish comes from one of the world's famous Lagerstätte, the Monte Bolca deposits near Verona, Italy. The significant extent of soft-tissue preservation that makes the site famous is evident in this specimen. The very long slender pelvic fins are reminiscent of the modern-day freshwater Angelfish, but its closest living relative is the Moonfish, Mene maculate, found in the Indian Ocean as well as the Pacific. Both have an upturned mouth suggestive of a planktivore. The species derives its name from its square-shaped body outline
The Monte Bolca deposits have been mined for centuries, with little change in the procedures used. Tunnels are bored into the rock, and the specimens that are removed are almost invariably collected piecemeal, then reassembled. For cosmetic reasons a section of matrix was added to the left side to make the plate more balanced; there is NO restoration.