This is a fine multiple example of a swift-swimming schooling fish from the lithographic limestone deposits of Eichstatt, Germany, known as Leptolepis sprattiformis (also termed Leptopleides sprattiformis). These 150 million year old deposits are famous for their exceptionally well-preserved organisms, the most famous of which are the handful of specimens of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx. That exceptional preservation is displayed here as well, down to the wonderfully-preserved caudal fins. They congregated in shoals, a habit that safeguarded individual specimens from predators. The species went extinct at the end of the Jurassic. This is a fine example of a fish death assemblage from the region, offered here at an eminently-affordable price.

Also see: Solnhofen Fossils