Fossil Fish
Image: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sites.google.com/site/thebrockeninglory/">Brocken Inaglory</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameFossil Fish
Chemical FormulaPrimarily CaCO3 (calcite) from replacement of organic material and matrix, with potential for other mineral replacements or organic residues.
Mohs Hardness3
Streak Colorwhite (for matrix), brownish (for fossilized remains)
CleavageN/A (for fossil), poor rhombohedral (for calcite matrix)
Fractureuneven/conchoidal
Specific Gravity2.7
Colorslight beige, tan, dark brown, reddish-brown
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityHakel, Lebanon
Mineral GroupFossil (organic remains in sedimentary rock)
Usesscientific study, collector item, educational display
Associated Mineralscalcite, aragonite, quartz, clay minerals
Rarityuncommon
Description
A light beige to tan slab of sedimentary rock containing well-preserved, dark brown fossilized remains of a fish (Diplomystus birdii) and a lobster (Pseudostacus sp.), with a partial Dercetis triqueter also visible.
Geological Context
These fossils formed during the Middle Cretaceous, Cenomanian Stage (approximately 95 million years ago), in a marine environment in what is now Lebanon. They represent organisms that were rapidly buried in fine-grained sediments, leading to exceptional preservation.
