Rare, 4.2" Fossil Octopus (Keuppia) - Preserved Tentacles & Ink Sac!

Rare, Fossil Octopus (Keuppia) - Preserved Tentacles & Ink Sac! #162776

This is a truly exceptional and rare fossil, a 4.2" long octopus from the Upper Cretaceous Sannine Formation of Hakel, Lebanon. It has excellent soft-bodied preservation including tentacles and even the ink sack, however the gladius is not visible on this specimen. The tentacles are still partially covered in limestone along one side of the specimen, meaning this octopus fossil is likely around 4.7" long. It could likely be prepared further by a skilled preparitor to expose the tentacles more.

A paper describing this genus can be found at the link:

NEW OCTOPODS (CEPHALOPODA: COLEOIDEA) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS (UPPER CENOMANIAN) OF HÂKEL AND HÂDJOULA, LEBANON

Both the positive and negative halves of this specimen are included. Comes with acrylic display stands.

The discovery of amazingly preserved marine fossils near Hakel, 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 the quarry at Hakel, Lebanon

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