Fossil Fish Association (Halec & Prionolepis) - Fish in Stomach!

This is a gorgeous fossil fish association that contains a rare fish of the genus Halec sp., and a viper fish (Prionolepis sp.). It was collected from the Upper Cretaceous Lebanese lagerstätten near Hjoula. Both fish show nice preservation detail, complete with an ingested fish within the stomach of the smallest fish (Prionolepis). The Halec measures 6.9" long and the Prionolepis is 5.3" long, both naturally associated on a slab of limestone that measures 14 x 8.25".

There are two repaired cracks through the rock, both of which run through the tail of each fish. Comes with an acrylic/metal display stand.

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