10.5" Cretaceous Fossil Shark - Hjoula, Lebanon

The sharks coming out of the Hjoula and Hakel deposits of Lebanon are, to this date, squalimorph sharks, or saw sharks. These sharks are characterized by their long, slender bodies and pointed, trident-like teeth. They were benthic in nature, shying away from open water hunting and preferring smaller prey which they located using vibrations and their highly developed sense of smell. There is currently one recognized family of extant saw sharks, the Pristiophorids. Modern saw sharks have been observed at over nine feet long, though Lebanese fossils top out around three feet in length.

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 1800's and these deposits have been meticulously quarried by several Lebanese families for over a century. We purchase our specimens directly from one of these families that have worked the quarries for generations.

These deposits represent a warm, shallow sea and have yielded over 70 types of fish as well as numerous other genre found no where else in the world. The preservation on many of these specimens is truly amazing including examples of soft bodied preservation.