What A Fish Story: A Fossilized Asphyxiation Scene

Meanderer

Meanderer

Supreme Member
‘At the moment we’ve got it hanging on the wall here at Christie’s South Kensington, and it holds its own against any work of art,’ Hyslop enthuses, ‘it’s a beautiful specimen.’ (13 3/4" x 22 3/4")



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‘This is an incredibly rare asphyxiation scene,’ explains Hyslop. ‘Some poor fish has tried to eat another and has literally bitten off more than he can chew — it’s got stuck in his mouth and he’s suffocated, and the two of them have fallen to the bottom of the deep blue sea together.’


'This exceptionally rare fossil offers a fascinating insight into the animals’ behaviour: ‘You can’t quite identify what species of fish is being eaten, because only the tail is visible — but there’s a chance that it’s an example of cannibalism going on,’ Hyslop says'.


'It’s two fossils for the price of one — the fish that’s doing the eating, and the fish that’s being eaten,’ Hyslop comments. ‘I’ve been looking for a good example of this for years and years. It’s really exciting to be offering this wonderful specimen in our sale.’
 

That is an awesome fossil and I have seen several of them. You know I have actually seen this happen with live, living fish. I recently saved a good sized Largemouth Bass that was choking on a big Bluegill here at my nearby local southern California lake, Lake Perris. The sharp spines of the Bluegill's dorsal fin were sticking into the bass, so it could not spit out the fish. I have found fish floating that did not make it.. a large Striped Bass that had a 2 pound bass stuck in it's throat. I guess if the prey is too big, the larger predatory fish cannot get the oxygen it needs by opening and closing it's mouth to get water to pass over it's gills. What a terrible way to die.
 

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