Pycnocraspedum cetonaense ( Schwarzhans, 1978 )

Schwarzhans, Werner W., Psomadakis, Peter N. & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2025, Revision of the bathydemersal fish genus Pycnocraspedum (Ophidiidae; Teleostei), with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5636 (3), pp. 443-472 : 467-468

† Pycnocraspedum cetonaense ( Schwarzhans, 1978)

Fig. 5M

Brotulidarum cetonaensis Schwarzhans, 1978: 37–38 , pl. 10, fig. 115.

‘ genus Neobythitinorum ’ cetonaensis ( Schwarzhans, 1978) : Nolf (1980).

Paragenypterus cetonaensis ( Schwarzhans, 1978) : Schwarzhans (1981).

Pycnocraspedum cetonaensis ( Schwarzhans, 1978) : Schwarzhans (1994); Nolf (2013).

Material examined (1 specimen): The unique holotype, SMF P.5694 , Cetona near Siena , Italy, Zanclean, Early Pliocene, a fossil otolith .

Discussion. Pycnocraspedum cetonaense was recovered from the Early Pliocene (about 5 mya) of Italy and represents the only known fossil record of the genus, based on a single large otolith. The otolith resembles in shape and proportions those of the extant P. africanum but differs in the relatively wide sulcus and the presence of clearly separated ostial and caudal colliculi (vs. single, fused colliculum). This record also demonstrates that the genus Pycnocraspedum was even more widely distributed in the past than today.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Otoliths, inner faces (if not noted otherwise) shown from right side. 5A–5C) Pycnocraspedum africanum sp. nov., 5A holotype, MNHN 2000-5691 (5A2 dorsal view), 5B paratype MNHN 2000-5692, 5C tentatively assigned specimen, IRSNB (5C2 dorsal view, 5C3 anterior view); 5D–5E) Pycnocraspedum armatum, 5D USNM 227412 (5D2 ventral view), 5E USNM 227390 (5E2 ventral view); 5F) Pycnocraspedum fulvum (holotype), BSKU 27497 (5F2 ventral view, 5F3 anterior view); 5G) Pycnocraspedum rowleyensis sp. nov., holotype, WAM I.28059.021 (5G2 ventral view); 5H) Pycnocraspedum phyllosoma, USNM 421587 (5H2 ventral view, 5H3 anterior view); 5I–5K) Pycnocraspedum squamipinne, 5I lectotype, BMNH 1890.7.31.1 (5I2 ventral view), 5J ZMUC P771871, 5L ZMUC P771739 (5L2 ventral view), 5K ZMUC P771738 (5K2 ventral view); 5M) †Pycnocraspedum cetonaense (holotype) SMF P.5694 (5M2 dorsal view, 5M3 anterior view).