Enjoy this fossilized crab specimen from Verona, Italy, a very nice and rare display.
 
The Monte Baldo quarry near Verona, Italy, once produced many fine specimens of crabs from the Eocene, but like many of the classic quarries in Europe, it is now closed and will no longer produce specimens.


The bodies of crabs are softer than the bones of most other animals. So, crab fossilization is much rarer than other creatures. When a crustacean dies, the body quickly decomposes, or it's consumed by other creatures. So, if the crustacean isn't immediately buried by silt, the soft tissue that holds the creatures exoskeleton together will fall apart from moving currents or scavengers.

 
This fossil crab has been professionally prepared to showcase the beautiful preservation of fossils from that quarry. The carapace is detailed and bears several spines along the sides while the claws and legs are in lifelike position; almost as if the crab is ready to scuttle off the original rock on which it sits.
 
This specimen would look fantastic as an addition to a collection, or simply as a stand-alone display piece.
 
Harpactocarcinus punctulatus was a mud crab in the Xanthidae family.


 
Measures 4.5 x 3 x 1.5 inches overall and is poised on a rocky matrix.