Triassic Fishing in New Jersey with TFF Members

[Shamalama]

It was great to get out and see some friendly faces. And just before all the quarantines went into effect too!  That site is just about spent as far as easily accessible productive layers. We need to get @Kane over there to start removing the upper layers from the top down. lol  @Paul1719 was doing his best with the ladder to access the productive layer higher in the rock face. Tim and Jeff went farther down the exposure to explore closer to the ground.

 

I managed to excavate an area that had a little bit of overhang that I removed prior to getting to the productive layer. The rock is so fractured that much of what you get is bits and pieces. I was able to get some larger plates out but the preservation was not terribly great. Years of water flowing through the rock has eroded some bones, and oxidized others so all you get are faint impressions.  I don't think I have any whole specimens but here are the better things I found:

 

Partial fish with head.

 

A positive and negative of a squished fish. I think it's all there but the head and front of the body are squished or flipped over.

 

A partial tail

 

Some scattered bones

 

And these cool rhombic crystals on a rock plane. Likely Selenite or Calcite IMHO.

 

[Jeffrey P]

8 hours ago, frankh8147 said:

Awesome finds!! Sorry I couldn't make it this year but hopefully next time. I'm glad to hear that spot is still so productive!

 

Hey Jeff, are you looking at prep for that first one or keeping it as is?

I sent that first one to Ptychodus04 in Texas to prep. He did a great job on the last one I sent him. 

[Fossildude19]

10 hours ago, Shamalama said:

Partial fish with head.

Dave, 

Some nice finds there. This one looks really good, as does the one that looks like it's in a  concretion of sorts. 

 

Half of a Triassic coelacanth with a well preserved skull is pretty cool, if you ask me!  

It was great getting out with these guys to talk and hunt.  

Glad you could make it, Dave!  

[Jeffrey P]

12 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Dave, 

Some nice finds there. This one looks really good, as does the one that looks like it's in a  concretion of sorts. 

 

Half of a Triassic coelacanth with a well preserved skull is pretty cool, if you ask me!  

It was great getting out with these guys to talk and hunt.  

Glad you could make it, Dave!  

More of it could be buried under the rock. Congrats. 

[Jeffrey P]

Thanks everyone for your positive and supportive comments. Unfortunately the specimen I sent to Kris for prepping turned out be mostly a mold and Kris was unable to reveal much more of it. A big disappointment. It looks like Granton won't be rivalling Kemmerer any time soon. 

On 3/14/2020 at 9:50 PM, Tidgy's Dad said:

Nice report, tis always good to see several forum folk out hunting together. 

Hope the fish prep out nicely, though with the prepper you've got on board, i'm optimistic. 

 

On 3/14/2020 at 10:17 PM, WhodamanHD said:

Beautiful fishies! Thanks for sharing

 

On 3/14/2020 at 10:59 PM, Pagurus said:

I'm looking at your report and the photos and the wonderful fish and thinking I wish I could have been there and thinking it's a good thing I wasn't, and thinking I couldn't have climbed up to where I needed to be and I know I couldn't have done it but wished I could. Ahhh. I'm glad you all got together and made some terrific finds. Congrats. I'm looking forward to seeing the fish after Kris gets his paws on it.

 

On 3/14/2020 at 11:44 PM, PaleoNoel said:

Great report! And congratulations on some nice finds. I hope they all prep out well. 

 

On 3/15/2020 at 6:26 AM, FossilNerd said:

Nice finds guys and even nicer company! I would love to see those fish after Kris works his magic.

 

Wonder what @Shamalama and @Paul1719 found?  

 

On 3/15/2020 at 7:02 AM, Ludwigia said:

Looks like you need a good bit of determination and perseverance to hook some of those fishies. Good work!

 

On 3/15/2020 at 7:20 AM, Monica said:

Super cool stuff, guys!  Congrats on a successful Triassic fishing expedition!

 

On 3/15/2020 at 7:29 AM, caldigger said:

With all your blood, sweat and tears it's Kris that I actually feel for. 

All these comments are really putting the pressure on him to put on his top hat and and cape to work some magic. 

Hope he can satisfy the anticipated expectations.

Something tells me he will! 

 

On 3/15/2020 at 3:51 PM, RuMert said:

Interesting report and nice finds. Good to see some prominent TFFers in the field

 

On 3/16/2020 at 8:33 AM, minnbuckeye said:

Wonderful finds. I did not know where North Bergen was. Now that I know, the fossils are even MORE IMPRESSIVE! Your pictures look so "rural" but that myth was proved false with the help of google earth!! My wife has always wanted to visit New York City. Now I have potential reason to venture into a city, something I never feel comfortable with. 

 

 Mike

 

On 3/16/2020 at 9:15 AM, frankh8147 said:

Awesome finds!! Sorry I couldn't make it this year but hopefully next time. I'm glad to hear that spot is still so productive!

 

Hey Jeff, are you looking at prep for that first one or keeping it as is?

[caldigger]

52 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said:

Unfortunately the specimen I sent to Kris for prepping turned out be mostly a mold and Kris was unable to reveal much more of it. 

Mmm, moldy fish,  I'm sure that's considered a delicacy somewhere in the world. 

[Miocene_Mason]

2 hours ago, caldigger said:

Mmm, moldy fish,  I'm sure that's considered a delicacy somewhere in the world. 

Narezushi