25" Superb Needle Fish (Rhynchodercetis) Fossil - Lebanon

Superb Needle Fish (Rhynchodercetis) Fossil - Lebanon #270906

This is a museum-quality predatory needle fish (Rhynchodercetis sp.) fossil from Hjoula, Lebanon. The fossil is in excellent condition and has superb preservation. If outstretched, this fish would be just over 25" long. A variety of small fish and shrimp can be found preserved alongside the needle fish, along with a relatively large, 3.9" wide Carpopanaeus fossil at the corner of the rock.

It comes with a metal display stand. Upon request, we can add a backing and French cleat for wall hanging presentation (if so please be sure to include preferred orientation).

There are a few repaired cracks through the rock/fossil. Some small spots of gap fill restoration can be found on the needle fish where cracks ran through it, however this restoration is very minimal. The rock has been backed with epoxy for stability.

The discovery of amazingly preserved marine fossils near Hjoula, Lebanon dates back many centuries. In fact, they were first mentioned in writing by Herodotus, over 450 years before the birth of Christ. The first scientific work on these localities began in the 1800s: these deposits have been meticulously quarried by several Lebanese families for over a century. We purchase our specimens directly from one of these families.

These deposits represent a warm, shallow sea of the Middle Cretaceous, and have yielded over 70 types of fish and numerous other genera found nowhere else in the world. The preservation on many of these specimens is truly amazing: many examples of soft bodied preservation have been found.

A photo of one of the quarries at Hjoula, Lebanon