Elsevier

Geobios

Volume 46, Issue 6, November–December 2013, Pages 461-472
Geobios

Original article
Fish otoliths from the Pliocene Heraklion Basin (Crete Island, Eastern Mediterranean)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geobios.2013.07.004Get rights and content

Abstract

The Pliocene Eastern Mediterranean fish record is revealed through the study of a 60-m thick stratigraphic sequence near the village Voutes (Heraklion, Crete). Forty-two species belonging to twenty families are identified. Calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy places the studied sequence within the biozone MNN16a (latest Zanclean). The stratigraphic distribution of 31 species is modified. Among these, 12 species are reported for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean Zanclean, while 19 species are first reported outside the Ionian Sea. The Voutes fish fauna presents a diversified benthic and benthopelagic assemblage filling a significant gap in the fossil record.

Introduction

Fish otoliths, the aragonitic incremental structures within the teleostean fish's inner ear, present taxon-specific morphology, which enables fossil fish assemblage reconstruction, since they are highly frequent in sediments of various environmental settings, ranging from lake to deep-sea deposits, and they are generally well preserved (Nolf, 1985). In addition, numerous studies have illustrated their value as palaeoecologic and palaeobathymetric indicators, providing very detailed and accurate palaeobiological and palaeoclimatic information.

The Pliocene Mediterranean fish fauna comprised typical tropical and subtropical taxa, which mostly inhabited the basin following its reconnection to the Atlantic Ocean, after the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Landini and Sorbini, 2005). Pliocene fish remains have been identified through several studies in the Western Mediterranean realm (Nolf and Martinell, 1980, Nolf and Girone, 2006, Girone, 2007). However few studies have been performed in the eastern sub-basin, almost all currently available information coming from fish skeletal remains. New Zanclean otolith-based fish fossil data for the Eastern Mediterranean basin are presented here for the first time, through the systematic study and analysis of the Zanclean fish otolith assemblages of the Voutes section (Heraklion, central Crete).

Section snippets

Geological setting

The Crete Island originated during the late Miocene through the N-S and E-W extensional deformation of the south Aegean, resulting in the formation of multiple tectonic blocks and late Miocene to Pleistocene sedimentary basins (Meulenkamp et al., 1988, Van Hinsbergen and Meulenkamp, 2006). The Neogene sediments overlie a pile of alpine nappe substratum, which includes the metamorphic Plattenkalk and Phyllites-Quarzites Units followed by the Tripolis and Pindos-Ethia, as well as other minor

Material and methods

Overall, nine sediment samples were taken; 25 kg each, along the Voutes section (Fig. 2, Fig. 3). Sample 1 was taken from the uppermost diatomite horizon, which is bare of other faunal remains. Sample 2 was collected from the uppermost marls, which present a rather rich macro-invertebrate fauna, including nuculoids, pectinids and limids. Samples 3 and 4 were taken from the second and third diatomite horizons, respectively, which present a poor macro-invertebrate fauna of deep-water bivalves.

Systematic palaeontology

Altogether, 42 taxa from 20 families were identified in the Voutes section sediments (Fig. 6). Specific notes on their identifications and systematic placement are made below wherever necessary.

Class ACTINOPTERYGII Klein, 1885

Order ANGUILLIFORMES Berg, 1940

Family CONGRIDAE Kaup, 1856

Genus Pseudophichthys Roule, 1915

Pseudophichthys spp.

Fig. 7(3)

Remarks: Two specimens are placed within this genus, based on the ostium portion of the sulcus, which is only very shallow and consequently poorly

Biostratigraphy

In the Voutes section, the nannoflora assemblage is dominated by discoasterids, which provide important biostratigraphic markers in the Pliocene. Discoasters are relatively well diversified and contain Discoaster adamanteus, D. assymetricus, D. tamalis, D. surculus, and very sporadic D. pentaradiatus and D. brouweri.

Placoliths are represented mainly by very abundant Pseudoemiliania lacunosa. Helicosphaera sellii is also significantly contributing to nannofossil assemblages. Reticulofenestra

Conclusion

The added value provided through the examination of the Voutes fish fauna lies in the fact that this is the first systematic study of the evolution of the fish paleofauna in the Eastern Mediterranean. Indeed, Chlorophthalmus agassizi, an extant circum-global species very abundant in the Eastern Ionian Sea today, is documented for the first time outside the Ionian basin and in the Early Pliocene. This significantly affects any preconceptions regarding the Eastern Mediterranean deep-dwelling

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Bruno Delrieu for the introduction to the studied section, as well as Dr. Gilles Escarguel, Dr. Giorgio Carnevale and Dr. Rostislav Brzobohaty for reviewing the manuscript. This research has been co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund – ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning” of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) - Research Funding Program “Heracleitus II. Investing in knowledge society

References (56)

  • G. Anfossi et al.

    La fauna ittiologica di Monteu Roero (Alba, Italia NW). Otoliti

    Atti dell’ Instituto Geologico della Universita di Pavia

    (1979)
  • L. Aruta et al.

    Otoliti dell’ Emiliano di localita Olivella (PA) e del Pliocene superior di contrada Pipitone (AG) (Sicilia occidentale)

    Il Naturalista Siciliano ser 4

    (1980)
  • C.A. Assis

    The utricular otoliths, lapilli, of teleosts: their morphology and relevance for species identification and systematics studies

    Scientia Marina

    (2005)
  • L. Benda et al.

    Biostratigraphic correlations in the eastern Mediterranean Neogene. Part I: Correlation between planktonic foraminiferal, uvigerinid, sporomorphal and mammal zonations of the Cretan and Italian Neogene

    Newsletters on Stratigraphy

    (1974)
  • A. Bossio et al.

    Studi sul Neogene e Quaternario della Penisola Salentina. I. La sequenza pliocenica di S. Andrea (Lecce) e il suo contenuto in pesci, ostracodi, foraminiferi e nannofossili

    Atti della Societa Toscana di Scienze Naturali Memoire series A

    (1986)
  • R. Brzobohaty et al.

    Otolithes de myctophides (poissons teleosteens) des terrains tertiaires d’ Europe: revision des genres Benthosema, Hygophum, Lampadena, Notoscopelus et Symbolophorus

    Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre

    (1996)
  • R. Brzobohaty et al.

    Diaphus otoliths from the European Neogene (Myctophidae, Teleostei)

    Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre

    (2000)
  • G. Carnevale et al.

    Mare versus Lago-mare: marine fishes and the Mediterranean environment at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis

    Journal of the Geological Society London

    (2006)
  • B. Delrieu et al.

    Un modèle d’ évolution tectonosédimentaire dans le domaine sud-égéen du Miocène supérieur : l’accident d’Aghia Varvara (Crète centrale, Grèce)

    Comptes Rendus de l’Academie des Sciences de Paris

    (1991)
  • I. Di Geronimo et al.

    Autochthonous and allochthonous assemblages from Lower Pleistocene sediments (Palione river, Sicily)

    Bolletino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana

    (2003)
  • Froese, R., Pauly, D., 2012 (Eds.) Fishbase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version...
  • J. Gaudant

    Amnissos : un gisement clé pour la connaissance de l’ichthyofaune du Pliocène supérieur de Crète

    Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien

    (2001)
  • J. Gaudant

    La crise messinienne et ses effets sur l’ichthyofaune Néogène de la Méditerranée : le témoignage des squelettes en connexion de poissons téléostéens

    Geodiversitas

    (2002)
  • J. Gaudant et al.

    Découverte d’une ichthyofaune marine dans les diatomites du Pliocène supérieur (Piacenzien) des environs d’Heraklion (Crète centrale, Grèce)

    Comptes rendus de l’Academie des Sciences, Paris, ser. 2

    (1994)
  • A. Girone

    The use of fish otoliths for paleobathymetric evaluation of the Lower to Middle Pleistocene deposits in Southern Italy

    Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana

    (2000)
  • A. Girone

    The Pleistocene bathyal Teleostean fauna of Archi (Southern Italy): palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographic implications, Rivista, Italiana

    di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia

    (2003)
  • A. Girone

    Piacenzian otolith assemblages from northern Italy (Rio Merli section, Emilia Romagna)

    Bolletino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana

    (2007)
  • A. Girone et al.

    Fish otoliths from the pre-evaporitic (Early Messinian) sediments of northern Italy: their stratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic significance

    Facies

    (2010)
  • Cited by (0)

    Corresponding editor: Gilles Escarguel.

    View full text