Pagellus pamunkeyensis, Lin & Nolf & Steurbaut, 2022

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 : 94-96

Pagellus pamunkeyensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:34C1E623-0612-40A2-9A21-C7A4FAE642B6

Fig. 36C–F

Diagnosis

OL/OH = 1.67–1.74, OsL/CaL = 0.67–0.82. Otoliths oblong, with tapering posterior margin. Inner face strongly convex. Ostium oval, with colliculum. Cauda straight for anterior two-thirds and markedly curved ventrally at posterior.

Etymology

This species is named after its type area, the Pamunkey River, Virginia.

Material examined

Holotype UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • Right otolith; Virginia, Pamunkey River, 1 km E of Eanes property , Bed A, sample 1, see also Strickland (1985), loc. 37; Piney Point Formation; Fig. 36F ; IRSNB P 10255 .

Paratypes UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • 6 otoliths of which three are figured: Fig. 36C–E ; same collection data as for holotype; IRSNB P 10252–10254 .

Type locality and horizon

United States of America, Pamunkey River, 1 km E of Eanes property (Virginia), Bed A, sample 1 ( Fig. 7 ), see also Strickland (1985), loc. 37, Piney Point Formation.

Dimensions of the holotype

Length = 6.00 mm; height = 3.47 mm; thickness = 1.11 mm.

Description

The otoliths are oblong in shape. The dorsal rim is raised in the centre of the otolith, and the ventral rim is also deeper in the middle or slightly anteriorly. There is a postero-dorsal angle on the dorsal rim, forming an oblique posterior rim after the angle. A much stronger and very pointed angle characterizes the transition of the posterior rim to the ventral one. The ventral rim is smoothly curved. The margins are smooth, but somewhat more irregular on the dorsal rim of the holotype. The otoliths are thin; their inner face is strongly convex and the outer face well concave. The sulcus is clearly divided, well-delineated and deeply incised. The ostium is clearly shorter and wider than the cauda, but unfortunately, none of the available specimens have a complete anterior margin. The ostium is oval, opens widely, and is completely filled by a large colliculum. The cauda is straight for about two-thirds of its length, and its posterior part is markedly curved in a ventral direction. The cristae are well-developed, and those along the straight part of the cauda are ridge-like. The dorsal area is wide and shows a depression just above the caudal crista superior. In the ventral area, a ventral furrow is present vey near to the ventral rim, but this can only be observed in the holotype, which is the largest and best-preserved specimen.

Remarks

Because of their general shape, their prominent posterodorsal angle and their salient postero-ventral angle, these otoliths seems to match very well with those of the sparid genus Pagellus ; see Nolf (2018: pl. 56), where an ontogenetic series of the Recent Pagellus bogaraveo (Brünnich, 1768) is figured. Also, the ontogenetic series of the Recent taxon, with a more anteriorly located pronounced rounding in the ventral rim of small specimens, matches very well with the ontogenetic changes seen in the fossils.

Stratigraphic and geographic distribution

Lutetian: Piney Point Formation, Virginia.

Figures

Fig. 36. Fish otoliths from the US middle and upper Eocene.A–B. Antigonia sp., Piney Point F., Pamunkey River, Virginia. A. SW of Pampatike Landing (IRSNB P 10250). B. Devil’s Hole (IRSNB P 10251). C–F. Pagellus pamunkeyensis sp. nov., Piney Point F., Pamunkey River, 1 km E of Eanes property, Virginia. C–E. Paratypes (IRSNB P 10252–10254). F. Holotype (IRSNB P 10255). G–L. “Sparus” elegantulus (Koken, 1888). G. Landrum M., Pin Oak Creek, Texas (IRSNB P 10256). H–I. Wheelock M., Little Brazos River, Stenzel loc., Texas (IRSNB P 10257–10258). J–L. “Stone City beds”, Stone City Bluff, Brazos River, sample 2 from bed P, Texas (IRSNB P 10259–10261). 1 = ventral view; 2 = inner view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Measured section at the Pamunkey River, 1 km E of Eanes property, Virginia (after Strickland 1985, loc. 37).