Prepare Your Own Fossil Fish Kit - Cockerellites (Priscacara)

This is a great gift for both kids or adults to spark their interest in fossils. It is a kit allowing them to prepare their own 50 million year old fossil fish. These fossil fish come from the Green River Formation of Wyoming. This formation yields some of the best preserved fish fossils in the world.

The kit comes with a slab of shale with the fossil fish of the genus Cockerellites (formerly known as Priscacara) buried just underneath the surface. The backbone of it and general shape is outlined in pencil There is a small needle like tool included that allows you scratch the rock away to expose the fish. Instructions and an informational sheet are also included.

The fish is of the species Cockerellites liops. It should be complete or mostly complete and between 3-5 inches long. Because the fish tend to be completely buried underneath the surface of the rock no guarantees can be made to it's exact condition or how it will look when prepared. The Cockerellites are much harder to find than the Knightia or Diplomystus which is why the kit is more expensive.

NOTE: Fully preparing this fish will take several hours of work and the results depend mainly on the patience and skill of the person doing it. Don't expect to expose a perfect fish in a half hour. Kids under ten should probably have adult supervision when preparing this fossil.

The last photo is an example of what a prepared Cockerellites from this location looks like. The 3rd photo shows one a fossil from one of these kits after approximately 1/2 hour of work exposing the tail. More prepared examples can be found at http://www.fossilera.com/fossils-for-sale/green-river-fossil-fish