These gastropods were collected from the Gánt bauxite mine shortly after it ceased production in the late nineteen eighties. The silty clays of the Forna formation was once a brackish near-shore environment in the Lutetian-Bartonian (middle Eocene), with a unique gastropod fauna that makes it along Barton and the Paris basin one of the key European Eocene localities. Unfortunately most of the mine has since been re-cultivated, and the fossil beds are no longer exposed except for a small preserved section that is now part of a mining museum where no collection is allowed. This is a rare opportunity to obtain a representative sample from this important locality.

Note that collecting was mostly possible from the spoil heaps of the mine where the clay covering the bauxite was removed, finding completely intact specimens was extremely rare, most collected material was damaged to some degree, with apex and aperture usually found broken, even in museum specimens.

This Cerithium subcorvinum is the largest species found in the Forna formaton, with adults usually growing to 10-12 cm. Unfortunately aperture and tip invariably found broken, I'm not aware of any complete ones from Gánt even in museums. This exceptional large adult specimen is the most intact I have ever found, unlike all other large specimens listed, there is no restoration (except for the repair of the remaining aperture), the remaining length is 13.9 cm.

Will ship with careful packaging.