Aspidorhynchus acutirostris

Age: Jurassic
Size: This specimen if out-stretched would be approximately 11 ¼” in length. The plate size is 15” x 11 x 1 ¾”
Fossil Location: Malm epsilon, Bayern, Germany
Comments: Presented is a spectacular specimen of this salt- water predator. It exhibits excellent preservation of the rostrum, head, scales and fins. Note the intact caudal, pectoral, anal and pelvic fins. The small sharp teeth are excellently preserved. The specimen is side facing in a graceful death pose. The plate is thick and heavy providing an aesthetic mounting for the Aspidorhynchus to reside. The plate was cracked into three sections. It was professionally repaired, losing none of the fish’s detail. The fossil has had no restoration. The Aspidorhynchus was excavated from the famous Painten Quarry, a part of the Solnhofen Plattenkalk. The fossils found at this particular quarry have a slightly different matrix composition, and distinctive sweet chocolate color. Fossils from the Painten Quarry are highly valued for their color and rarity. Aspidorhynchus (meaning "shield snout") is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Fossils have been found in Europe and Antarctica. Aspidorhynchus was a slender, fast-swimming fish, 60 centimetres (2.0 ft) long, with tooth-lined, elongated jaws. It also had heavy scales and a symmetrical tail. The upper jaw was longer than the lower jaw, ending in a toothless spike. Although it would have looked superficially similar to the present day gar, its closest living relative is actually the bowfin. The species derives its name from the sharp rostrum which it presumably used to slash sidewise at prey fish. Once its prey was stunned, the sharp teeth would have come into play. The genus became extinct in the Cretaceous, leaving no descendants.
This spectacular fossil comes from the famous Lagerstätte, the lithographic limestone Solnhofen deposits of Germany. These 150 million year old deposits are famous for their exceptionally well-preserved and diverse organisms, the most famous of which are the handful of specimens of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx.
Price: $1700.00 - Code PFT260 - Free postage in the USA