7.7" Fossil Guitar Ray (Rhinobatos) With Thirty Fish - Lebanon

Fossil Guitar Ray (Rhinobatos) With Thirty Fish - Lebanon #165875

This is a really awesome mortality plate from the Upper Cretaceous, marine deposits near Byblos, Lebanon. It features a 7.7" long guitar ray (Rhinobatos) along with over 30 fossil fish (Gaudryella) and shrimp (Carpopenaeus). The entire slab of limestone measures 23 x 15" and has been backed for stability. There is one repaired crack running through the center of the rock.

It comes with a display stand but we can also add a wall hanger upon request.

The genus Rhinobatos still exists in our seas, in the tropical and hot temperate regions, and includes about 30 present day species. There are eight described species of Rhinobatos from the Lebanese deposits with Rhinobatos whitfieldi being one of the smaller ones.

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.

A photo of one of the quarries at Hjoula, Lebanon

$1,495 $1,345

SPECIES

Rhinobatos, Gaudryella & Carpopenaeus

AGE

Upper Cretaceous (~94 Million Years)