Blochius Longirostris, Eocene-Middle Eocene

BLOCHIUS LONGIROSTRIS, Eocene-Middle Eocene
Prehistoric fish fossil
Length: 76 cm.

Fossil specimen of Blochius longirostris, one of the most emblematic species from the famous site of Monte Bolca, in Verona (Italy), dated to the Middle Eocene, about 50 million years ago.

The specimen presents an extraordinary preservation and a length of 76 cm, which makes it a piece of great value for collectors. It comes from an old private collection and retains the official registration number of the site. Blochius longirostris specimens are nowadays extremely difficult to obtain in the market, especially in this size and state of preservation.

The genus Blochius is also of great historical relevance in paleontology. Its existence was already known in 1709, when the Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob Scheuchzer described fragments of the skeleton, relating them to swordfish (Xiphias) or catfishes. Later, in 1796, the scientist Giovanni Serafino Volta officially gave it the name Blochius, in honor of the famous ichthyologist Marcus Elieser Bloch, one of the pioneers of modern ichthyology.