OSTEOGLOSSIDAE BONAPARTE, 1845

Cicimurri, David J., Knight, James L. & Ebersole, Jun A., 2022, Early Oligocene (Rupelian) fishes (Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes) from the Ashley Formation (Cooper Group) of South Carolina, USA, PaleoBios 39 (1), pp. 1-38 : 20-21

OSTEOGLOSSIDAE BONAPARTE, 1845

GEN. ET SP. INDET.

FIG. 9C, D

Referred specimens (n=25) —SC2007.36.115 (10 teeth), SC2007.36.144 (six teeth), SC2007.36.211 (two teeth), SC2015.29.183 (three teeth), SC2015.29.188 (three teeth), SC2015.29.218 ( Fig. 9C, D ).

Description —These teeth are tall and conical, slightly postero-medially curved, and sharply pointed. The tooth apex bears a tiny enameloid cap that is translucent, and enameloid is often absent from the lateral edges of the tooth. The tooth has a circular outline in basal view and has a medially located and circular pulp cavity.

Remarks —These teeth, which consist of a very tall peduncle and comparatively small crown, are similar to Eocene osteoglossid teeth reported from Virginia and Alabama ( Weems 1999, Ebersole et al. 2019). These teeth differ from the Trichiurides sagittidens Winkler, 1874 and Sphyraena spp. laniary teeth in our sample by the combination of being postero-medially curved, by having a translucent enameloid cap that lacks a posterior barb, and by having a circular cross-section in basal view. They differ from the Paralithchyidae indet. tooth in our sample by being less lingually curved and by lacking a flared apex. The Ashley Formation specimens represent the first fossil record of the family from South Carolina.

Figures

Figure 9. Teleost teeth from the Givhans Ferry Member, Ashley Formation (Rupelian), Dorchester County, South Carolina. A, B. Albula sp. tooth, SC2015.29.204 in profile (A) and basal (B) views. C, D. Osteoglossidae indet. tooth, SC2015.29.218 in profile (C) and basal (D) views. E–H. Sphyraena sp. cheek tooth, SC2007.36.120 in close-up showing serrations (E), labial (F), carinal (G), and basal (H) views. I–K. Sphyraena sp. laniary tooth, SC2007.36.190 in labial (I), basal (J), and anterior (K) views. L, M. Paralichthyidae indet. tooth, SC2007.36.259 in labial (L) and distal (M) views. N. Trichiurides cf. T. sagittidens laniary tooth, SC2015.29.185 in profile view. O. Trichiurides cf. T. sagittidens laniary tooth, SC2007.36.210 in profile view. P–R. Palaeocybium sp. tooth, SC2007.36.122 in labial (P), carinal (Q), and basal (R) views. S–U. Scomberomorus sp. tooth, SC2015.29.221 in lingual (S), carinal (T), and basal (U) views. Scale bar=0.4 mm in O; 0.5 mm in C, D, L–N, S–U; 1 mm in A, B, I–K; 3 mm in E–H, P–R.