Abramis Cuvier, 1816

Schulz-Mirbach, Tanja & Reichenbacher, Bettina, 2006, Reconstruction of Oligocene and Neogene freshwater fish faunas-an actualistic study on cypriniform otoliths, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (2), pp. 283-304 : 295

Genus Abramis Cuvier, 1816 vel genus Alburnus Rafinesque, 1820

aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp.

Fig. 22 .

1988 Cyprinidae gen. indet. sp. 1; Reichenbacher 1988: 10, figs. 4, 5.

Material, dimensions and stratigraphic range.—See Tables 1 and 4, and Fig. 32 .

Description.—The antero− and posterolateral edges are distinctly developed with the posterolateral edge forming the slightly pointed posterior end of the lapillus. The posteromedial edge of the fossil specimens corresponds well to the additional medial edge in the Recent Abramis brama −lapilli ( Fig. 5 ). The obliquely running lateral margin is straight or convex. The incision is rather wide. However, these fossil lapilli are similar to those of Recent Abramis brama , but also resemble Recent Alburnus alburnus , especially when compared with lapilli from juveniles (see Fig. 7C, D ). They can be discriminated from the similarly shaped lapilli of Abramis bjoerkna because of the absent cranial umbo.

Remarks.—No pharyngeal teeth of Abramis or Alburnus species have been found among the fossils of the localities

Figures

Fig. 22. Miocene lapilli of aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp. A–F. BSPG 2003 IV 30–35 respectively, in dorsal views, represented as right lapilli, mirrored, from middle Miocene of Le Locle (Switzerland) S1/15.2–15.45 m (A, B) and S3/16.4–16.6 m (C), and early Miocene of Illerkirchberg (Germany), no. 18 (D–F). G. BSPG 2003 XVIII 36 from early Miocene of Illerkirchberg (Germany), no. 18 in ventral view, represented as left lapillus. SEM−pictures.

Fig. 32. Stratigraphic range of the lapilli−based fossil cyprinid species of the present study. Stratigraphic scale after Gradstein et al. (2004).

Fig. 5. Utricular otoliths (lapilli) of Recent Abramis brama (Linnaeus, 1758) from wild catches in Germany. A. BSPG 2003 IV 1a in dorsal (A1) and anterior (A2) views. B. BSPG 2003 IV 9 in dorsal view. C. BSPG 2003 IV 2a in ventral view. D–I. BSPG 2003 IV 6, 7, 12, 8, 1b, 2b respectively, mirrored, in dorsal views. All lapilli are represented as right ones except C, which is represented as left lapillus (mirrored). A, H and C, I display lapilli pairs. SEM−pictures (A–C), digital photographs (D–I).

Fig. 7. Utricular otoliths (lapilli) of Recent Alburnus alburnus (Linnaeus, 1758) from wild catches in Germany. A–G, I. BSPG 2003 IV 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 35, and 22 respectively, in dorsal views, showing its range of morphological diversity; except D2 and G2, which are in ventral views. H. BSPG 2003 IV 27 in dorsal (H1) and anterior (H2) views. All lapilli are represented as right ones, except D2, H2, and G2, which are represented as left lapilli (A–D1, E–G1, H1 are mirrored). SEM−pictures (D2, G2, H, I), digital photographs (A–D1, E–G1).