Potamon Crab Fossil (D)- Denizli Basin | River Walkers Minerals

This petite Potamon crab is preserved in an exceptional travertine cavity from the Denizli Basin of southwestern Turkey. Despite its small size, the piece has a striking presence! The crab sits tucked into a natural pocket, framed by cream-colored travertine walls and a textured, sparkling floor. Its carapace is beautifully intact, and the legs and claws are preserved with thick mineral coatings typical of the travertine formation process.

The upper overhang and surrounding walls create a “window” into the fossil, giving it the feeling of peering into a tiny prehistoric cave. The botryoidal texture across the matrix sparkles under light, while the crab itself displays the pale, matte finish characteristic of travertine encrustation. Nothing has been carved or altered- this is a completely natural snapshot of how the animal was entombed by mineral-rich spring waters. This fossil not only is UV reactive, but is also phosphorescent!

Potamon is a freshwater crab genus still living today across the eastern Mediterranean. Fossils like this formed in the Pleistocene era (approx 400,000 years old), when warm, calcium-rich waters repeatedly coated and preserved organisms within travertine deposits. This small specimen is a perfect shelf piece- unique, sculptural, and full of character.

Details:

• Species: Potamon sp.
• Formation: Travertine
• Locality: Denizli Basin, SW Turkey
• Age: Pleistocene era (approx 400,000 years old)
• Dimensions: 3 × 3.5 in (approx. 7.6 × 8.9 cm)
• Weight: 1 lb (approx. 453 g)