A Viper By Any Other Name....

[Frank Menser]

Just picked this up off Ebay from bonesfossils (if your here, take a bow). I was gifted years ago with some jaws of this species from Texas but had never gotten around to buying a whole one. This is from Lebanon, the source of a lot of great fish fossils and kind of an unusual "dramatic" presentation. Fish measures 3".

[paleozoicfish]

You're welcome, glad you liked it.

I have several more.

-PzF

[Plantguy]

Just picked this up off Ebay from bonesfossils (if your here, take a bow). I was gifted years ago with some jaws of this species from Texas but had never gotten around to buying a whole one. This is from Lebanon, the source of a lot of great fish fossils and kind of an unusual "dramatic" presentation. Fish measures 3".

Frank, neat little devil you have there. Is this guy Cretaceous? Saw a bunch of different Lebanese Cretaceous fish for sale recently at the Fossilmall/Edcope enterprises.

Regards, Chris

[Frank Menser]

Middle Cretaceous. They are also occasionally offered on Ebay.

[Plantguy]

Middle Cretaceous. They are also occasionally offered on Ebay.

Frank, thanks for the reply. Another question...I've learned first hand to be leary of the Morrocco fossils due to some of the fakes. Any tips/insight for acquiring Lebanese material--Ive seen some pretty detailed specimens on Ebay and other sites that almost look almost too good? I'm aware of getting material from reputable dealers and avoiding the obvious stuff but any apprehensions about certain types/species from there? Regards, Chris

[Frank Menser]

Chris,

That might be a question for someone more familiar with Lebanese fosils than I am. I know someone who is very up on this and i will see if I can get some info from him.

[fig rocks]

Nice fish fossil Frank!

[Nicholas]

That's a great piece!

I'd mount it on the wall

[fossilis]

Matrix with 2 Eurypholis boissieri of my old collection

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1641

Being in France, I am lucky to know two Lebanese families which exploit quarries in Lebanon. Not or not enough forgery for the fossils of the Lebanon (sometimes reconstructions for the very large pieces) There are too many fossils and sellers to need to produce false fossils.

In these cases fossils from Lebanon.

Proof by opening a box at random. Here a Prionolepis cataphractus.

Frank, about your viper fish : Cladistics of the Osteichthyes of Lebanon (2003)

Eurypholis boissieri (Pictet, 1850)

- Class : Osteichthyes

- Sub Class : Teleostei

- Super Cohort : Elopocephala

- Cohort : Clupeocephala

- Sub Cohort : Clupeomorpha

- Order : Alepisauriformes

- Sub Order : Enchodontoidae

- Family : Eurypholidae

- Stage : Cenomanian (96 million years)

[Frank Menser]

Matrix with 2 Eurypholis boissieri of my old collection

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1641

Being in France, I am lucky to know two Lebanese families which exploit quarries in Lebanon. Not or not enough forgery for the fossils of the Lebanon (sometimes reconstructions for the very large pieces) There are too many fossils and sellers to need to produce false fossils.

In these cases fossils from Lebanon.

Proof by opening a box at random. Here a Prionolepis cataphractus.

Frank, about your viper fish : Cladistics of the Osteichthyes of Lebanon (2003)

Eurypholis boissieri (Pictet, 1850)

- Class : Osteichthyes

- Sub Class : Teleostei

- Super Cohort : Elopocephala

- Cohort : Clupeocephala

- Sub Cohort : Clupeomorpha

- Order : Alepisauriformes

- Sub Order : Enchodontoidae

- Family : Eurypholidae

- Stage : Cenomanian (96 million years)

Fossilis - Thanks for the info.

A friend of mine brought up an interesting point. If you put Lebanese (and for that matter unstained Green River) fish under blacklight they fluorese. Paint doesn't. I checked this out on my own specimens and found this to be true.