Hakelia Fossil Fish Association – Upper Cretaceous, Hakel, Lebanon Late Cretaceous - 100 million years ago - Height: 300 mm - Width: 170 mm- 5174 g - (1)

Late Cretaceous - 100 million years ago — fossil plate with several Hakelia specimens, from the famous marine deposits of the Late Cretaceous Hakel area in Lebanon. The fossils are distributed across the surface in different orientations and form a particularly rich composition, in which many anatomical details are still legible. The specimens preserve parts of the vertebral column, succession of ribs, fin rays, and portions of the body profile. The fossil structures show brown-ochre tones that stand out on the light calcareous matrix. The longest fish occupies the upper diagonal of the plate, while the other individuals cluster in the central area and along the left edge, creating a suggestive representation of the ancient marine environment. The genus Hakelia includes extinct teleost fishes that lived in the tropical waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Almost 100 million years ago, the present Lebanese territory was covered by a marine environment characterized by relatively quiet basins. Under particular conditions of bottom oxygen deficiency, dead organisms could escape the action of saprofaunal animals and rapid decomposition. The bodies were progressively covered by extremely fine carbonate sediments. This delicate deposition allowed the preservation of fragile elements such as vertebrae, ribs, and fin rays, today visible as thin brown impressions on the surface of the stone. The fossiliferous limestones of Hakel are internationally known for the quality and variety of the marine fauna they yielded. The plate represents a small paleontological association: the presence of multiple individuals on the same surface allows observation of different orientations and levels of preservation, turning the specimen into a visual testimony of the Cretaceous marine ecosystem. Conditions and restoration The plate broke into two parts and was subsequently reassembled and consolidated. The repair is visible along the fracture line, predominantly horizontal, crossing the matrix. The reserve price has been expressly set taking this restoration into account. Prospective buyers are therefore invited to carefully observe all images, which show the specimen, the fossils, the matrix, and the reconstruction line from different angles. The photographs are an integral part of the description and faithfully document the conservation state of the lot. Genus: Hakelia Type: plate with a fossil fish association Period: Late Cretaceous Era: about 95 million years old Provenance: Hakel, Lebanon Original environment: marine, Tethys Ocean Conditions: plate broken into two parts and subsequently reassembled and consolidated Preparation: fossils exposed on the original calcareous matrix