1.6" Armored Cretaceous Crab - Lebanon

This is a 1.6" wide example of a rare, armored crab (Corazzatocarcinus hadjoulae) from the Upper Cretaceous, Lebonese lagerstätten. It get it's name from the Italian word corazatto meaning armored, in reference to the ornamentation on the carapace.

The Upper Cretaceous, Lebonese lagerstätten yields some of the most exquisitely preserved fossil fish in the world. The deposit represents a shelf that is estimated to have been 270m below the surface of the sea. Over 80 genre are currently described, with many more still awaiting description. These beautiful fossils have been quarried near Byblos, Lebanon for well over a century and include sharks, rays, shrimp, ray-finned fishes and more.