Fossickers find a fantastic fossil fish

Canadian tourists Gary and Barb Flewelling have discovered a second significant fish fossil during a dig near Richmond in Queensland's north-west. It's an area that's rich in vertebrate fossils and tourists have an opportunity to get their hands into the dirt and with a pick and shovel find some amazing specimens.  

A large fossil fish as found at a dig site near Richmond [Credit: Paul Stumkat/Kronsaurus Korner]

The first specimen found by the Flewelling family was a metre-long pre-historic fish and the second find was a huge fish of a different species that's about three metres long and dates back 100 million years. 

Paul Stumkat is the curator of Kronosauras Korner and said he's grateful to tourists who pick up a spade to help uncover important fossils. 

"We've got some very clever Canadians here who seem to be able to prod their digging tools into all sorts of amazing things and keep continually turning up quite amazing fish. 

"The same couple who were here and found a fish a few weeks back; they've now prepared that specimen and it looks quite fantastic. 

"That's now on display at Kronosaurus Korner (the marine fossil museum in Richmond)," he explained. 

"It was only on Saturday (2nd July) that we managed to excavate this huge three-metre fish from out of our public fossil hunting site here at Richmond." 

Fossil fish tail beautifully preserved. It's part of a huge fish fossil recently found at a dig site near Richmond [Credit: Paul Stumkat/Kronsaurus Korner]

Mr Stumkat said he relies very heavily on members of the public finding specimens and donating them to the museum. 

"Visitors to the region do get excited about potentially finding something themselves. 

"They're my eyes out in the field because I can't get out in the field all the time," he said. 

Visitor numbers have increased markedly into the Richmond area recently and Mr Stumkat said it's due to the fantastic weather and also possibly the state of the economy. 

"It's certainly good at the moment." 

He explained it's very unique to the region to still have some of the best fossils in Australia when it comes to vertebrate fossils. 

"So it's just a matter of getting your eye in and getting efficient at finding these amazing creatures." 

Author: Karyn Wilson and Julia Harris | Source: ABC News Website [July 12, 2011]