2.4" Trident" Walliserops Trilobite With Barrandeops

This is beautifully prepared specimen of one of the weirdest, and most visually stunning species of trilobite, Walliserops trifurcatus. There is some debate about the purpose of the trident shaped appendage or rostrum coming off the front of it's head but it's likely it could have either had sensory purposes or have been used to stir up the mud while looking for food.
Unlike many on the market the trident and the free standing spines are real. They were painstakingly prepared free of the solid limestone using air abrasives under microscope and a lot of patience. This piece took around 40 hours of manual labor to prepare. Just check out the detailed eye facets on this specimen. There is also a disarticulated Barrandeops naturally associated next to it.
<image image_id="506" align="right" width="600" height="400">A photo of the quarry at Foum Zguid. The Walliserops come out of the very bottom layer, which requires 1-2 meters of limestone overburden to be removed.</image>