Scythogobius spissus, Schwarzhans & Bratishko & Vernyhorova, 2023

Schwarzhans, Werner W., Bratishko, Andriy & Vernyhorova, Yuliia V., 2023, Approaching the Khersonian Crisis: Fish otoliths from the upper Bessarabian (middle Sarmatian s. l.; Late Miocene) of Jurkine (Kerch Peninsula, Crimea), Palaeontologia Electronica (a 31) 26 (2), pp. 1-15 : 7

Scythogobius spissus n. sp.

Figure 3R–Y zoobank.org/ C5B4CFB5-08F9-42AC-ABD3-B92E2605B755

Holotype. Figure 3R–T , NMNH ГКН 5960 080, Jurkine, Kerch Peninsula , Crimea, microfauna sample

#20, upper Vasylivkian, Bessarabian, middle Sarmatian s.l.

Paratypes. Two specimens, SMF PO 101.340 , same data as holotype .

Name. From spissus (Latin) = compact, thick, referring to the thick appearance of these otoliths.

Diagnosis. See generic diagnosis (monospecific genus).

Description. The otoliths are moderately large, compact with a subrectangular outline up to 3.35 mm in length (holotype). The dorsal rim is low, straight, flat, nearly horizontal, and slightly ascending to an obtuse postdorsal angle. The ventral rim flat and horizontal. The anterior rim is nearly vertical with a small indentation at the level of the tip of the sulcus in large specimens and straight in small ones ( Figure 3W ). The posterior rim is vertical or slightly inclined outwardly toward a short, obtuse postdorsal projection, which could be an ontogenetic effect. The postdorsal projection is not bent outward. All rims are smooth.

The inner face is flat or moderately convex (compare Figure 3S and 3Y ). The sulcus is centrally positioned, shallow, mostly small (probably widened by erosion in Figure 3V ); OL:SuL = 1.75– 2.15. The sulcus shape is reduced and rounded sole-type with a low, almost leveled ostial lobe. There is no subcaudal iugum. The dorsal depression is variable but mostly shallow and indistinct. There is no ventral furrow discernable. The outer face is strongly convex, smooth.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Otoliths. A–D Ophichthidae indet. juv., SMF PO 101.337, microfauna sample #20, A = anterior view, B = inner face, C = dorsal view, D = ventral view. E Maeotichthys wilhelmi (Djafarova, 2006), SMF PO 101.338, microfauna sample #20, inner face (reversed), digitally composed from three broken segments. F–Q Maeotichthys salebrosus n. sp., F, I, L, O = inner faces, G, J, M, P = anterior views, H, K, N, Q = ventral views, I–K holotype, NMNH ГКН 5960 079 (reversed), microfauna sample #21, F–H, L–Q paratypes, SMF PO 101.339, microfauna sample #20. R–Y Scythogobius spissus n. gen., n. sp., R, V, W = inner faces, S = dorsal view, Y = ventral view, T, U = posterior views, X = anterior view, R–T holotype, NMNH ГКН 5960 080 (reversed), microfauna sample #20, U–Y paratypes (U–V reversed), SMF PO 101.340, microfauna sample #20. Z–AB Anatirostrum profundorum (Berg, 1927), Recent, Caspian Sea, Gilan, Iran, CMNFI 1999-0023.1, Z = inner face, AA = dorsal view, AB = posterior view.