Paraulopus, Sato & Nakabo, 2002

Van Hinsbergh, Victor W. M. & Helwerda, Renate A., 2019, Fish Otoliths from the Cabarruyan Piacenzian-Gelasian fauna found in the Philippines, Zootaxa 4563 (3), pp. 401-443 : 410

Paraulopus sp.

(Figures 23–26)

Material: 5 specimens in total. Anda1 (1) RGM 962127 ; Roxas (4) RGM 962128 , RGM 962129 , RGM 962130 , RGM 962131 .

Five small oval otoliths (OL:OH=1.78–1.91) with a strong blunt rostrum, no antirostrum, and no excisural notch. The anterior part of the dorsal lining of the otoliths runs straight diagonally from the rostrum to the predorsal angle of the dorsal rim. Between the two lobes that represent the pre- and postdorsal angles, the dorsal rim slightly declines in ventral direction, while the dorsal rim declines steeply in ventral direction after the postdorsal angle. The ventral rim is regularly rounded; it is smooth or—in particular in the smaller specimens—with 7–10 furrows which form indistinct flattened lobes. The otoliths are relatively thick with convex appearance at the rims and more flattened inner surface. The sulcus is straight with a tiny downward inclination at the very end. The ostium and cauda have no clear separation. The ostium is widened towards its dorsal side and displays on SEM examination a small extension at its dorsal side. Crista superior runs prominent along the cauda and ends at the dorsal extension of the ostium. The crista inferior along cauda and ostium. A dorsal field is present above the middle part of the sulcus. Dorsal field sensitive to damage (damaged in 4 out of 5 specimens). No ventral furrow. Outer surface convex in dorsoventral direction; rounded along the rims either smooth or with knobs and furrows, except for the middorsal side that remains smooth.

The otoliths belong to one species reminiscent to the genus Paraulopus , but their size and conservation do not permit species identification.