Sciaena intermedia, Koken, 1888

Lin, Chien-Hsiang & Nolf, Dirk, 2022, Middle and late Eocene fish otoliths from the eastern and southern USA, European Journal of Taxonomy 814, pp. 1-122 : 92

“ Sciaena ” intermedia Koken, 1888

Fig. 35A–I

Otolithus (Sciaenidarum) intermedius Koken, 1888: 283 , pl. 19 figs 2–3.

“genus Sciaenidarum” intermedius – Nolf 2003: 9, pl. 2 figs 12–14.

“ Sciaenida ” intermedia – Nolf 2013: 107, pl. 282.

Sciaena intermedius – Ebersole et al. 2019: 213 , fig. 71o–p.

Remarks

The otoliths of “ S.” intermedia and “ S.” livesayi both have a long cauda that strongly bends at about onethird of its length, a similar ostial length and a similar inner face convexity. However, “ S.” livesayi can be distinguished from “ S.” intermedia by having a more antero-posteriorly compressed shape, mostly with a caudal tip directed more anteriorly, and by the much wider ostium, whose ventral part is not constricted on the crista inferior. Ebersole et al. (2019) hypothesized a close relationship between “ S.” intermedia and S. pseudoradians , and even with Jefitchia . It seems to us that otoliths of “ S.” intermedia indeed resemble those of S. pseudoradians (Supplementary file 1), but Jefitchia ( J. copelandi ) is very distinct and likely represent a different clade.

Stratigraphic and geographic distribution

Lutetian: “Stone City beds”, Texas; Dobys Bluff Tongue of Kosciusko Formation, Mississippi. Bartonian: Cook Mountain Formation, Texas; “upper” Lisbon Formation and Gosport Sand, Alabama.

Figures

Fig. 35. Fish otoliths from the US middle and upper Eocene. A–I. “Sciaena” intermedia Koken, 1888. A–F. “Stone City beds”, Stone City Bluff, Brazos River, sample 2 from bed P, Texas (IRSNB P 10235– 10240). G–H. “Upper” Lisbon F., Barrytown, County Road 21, Alabama (IRSNB P 10241–10242). I. “Stone City beds”, Alabama Ferry, on Trinity River, North, Texas (IRSNB P 10243). J–O. “Sciaena” livesayi (Müller, 1999). J–M. Wheelock M., Little Brazos River, confluence with Brazos River, Texas (IRSNB P 10244–10247). N–O. Piney Point F., sand and gravel pit, Bottoms Bridge, loc. 22 of Müller, Virginia, paratypes (IRSNB P 10248–10249). 1 = ventral view; 2 = inner view. Scale bars = 1 mm.