Late Miocene (Pannonian) sciaenid fish otoliths from Hungary - preliminary studies

Fossil sciaenid fish otoliths are reported here from Pannonian (Upper Miocene) deposits of 11 Hungarian localities. 41 specimens belonging to four species are described in this paper: Umbrina cirrhosoides (SCHUBERT, 1902), Umbrina subcirrhosa SCHUBERT, 1902, Trewasciaena kokeni (SCHUBERT, 1902), and Sciaena sp. This material is a great example for present intraspecific variation of sciaenid otoliths

A fish otolith assemblage from the Late Miocene (Pannonian) deposits of Lake Pannon (Doba, NW Hungary)

Abstract A fish otolith assemblage consisting of 173 specimens was recovered from littoral sand deposits of the brackish Lake Pannon at Doba, western Hungary. Co-occurring endemic mollusks indicate the Lymnocardium ponticum Zone, thus an age of about 9 million years (Late Miocene) can be assumed. Most of the investigated otoliths belong to the family Sciaenidae. The otoliths are assigned to 6 taxa: Umbrina cirrhosoides, Umbrina aff. cirrosa, Umbrina sp., “genus aff. Umbrina” kokeni, Morone kuehni?, Gadidae indet. This otolith assemblage does not represent the ancient fish fauna of Lake Pannon, because the common prey fish (gobiids) have not been identified. Generally, the Pannonian fish fauna is characterized by a high number of sciaenid otoliths which indicate a shallow estuarine environment. The fish fauna from Doba is a unique otolith assemblage due to the co-occurrence of several Umbrina species

Incremental growth and mineralogy of Pannonian (Late Miocene) sciaenid otoliths – palaeoecological implications.

Ontogenetic age and body dimensions were studied on three extremely well-preserved sciaenid fish otoliths from sublittoral marls of Lake Pannon from Doba, Bakony Mts, Hungary. Macroscopic and microscopic observations offered clear evidence for the preservation of the genuine structural characteristics, for instance the bipartite incremental features. Ontogenetic ages were assigned for the three specimens as 16, 7 and 6 years by counting the annuli of the sagittae. Analytical results prove that the original aragonitic mineralogy has been preserved making them, and probably other Late Miocene teleost fossils, suitable for future microchemical analysis to reconstruct the past physicochemical environment

A diverse Miocene fish assemblage (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes) from the Pécs-Danitzpuszta sand pit (Mecsek Mts, Hungary)

Chondrichthyans and osteichthyans are widely reported from marine sediments of the Central Paratethys, not only by sporadic occurrences, but also by complex, diverse fish assemblages. Here we present a rich fish fauna from the upper Miocene (Pannonian, Tortonian) lacustrine sediments exposed in the Pécs-Danitzpuszta sand pit, in the SW Pannonian Basin. Altogether 22 227 specimens were investigated, and they could be classified into 17 chondrichthyan and 16 osteichthyan taxa. Among the chondrichthyans Odontaspididae (55.51%) and Myliobatidae (14.4%) are the most abundant, while the bony fishes are dominated by the Sparidae (77.07%). The limonitic, yellow, coarse-grained, gravelly sands yielded an extremely large amount of isolated fish fossils. A considerable part of the vertebrate material of the sands is likely reworked from older, middle Miocene (Badenian and Sarmatian, i.e. Langhian and Serravallian) sediments. The late Miocene calcareous marls underlying the sands also yielded a variety of fish remains. From these remains, associated and articulated latid bones are coeval with the sediment and suggest freshwater and brackish conditions in the area, in accord with other biotic data. Other, isolated fossils, namely teeth, otoliths, cycloid scales and jaw elements of Gadidae, Gobiidae, Sparidae and Latidae could be reworked and thus have a very limited paleoecological significance. Based on habitat preferences of extant relatives, all chondrichthyans and most osteichthyan taxa found in the sands must be of Badenian origin. The abundant remains allow for some conclusions on the environmental conditions during the Badenian. They refer to a shallow, coastal environment with tropical-subtropical climate with connection to more open water habitats. Remains of some osteichthyan taxa were found in coprolites, showing that these taxa were part of the food chain as prey items. Sirenian ribs and odontocete limb bones bearing tooth marks refer to trophic relations between marine mammals and large sized macropredatory sharks. The Pécs-Danitzpuszta record of shark-attributed bite marks on bones of marine mammals is the second of the Badenian of the Central Paratethys. Acipenserids and latids of the sands, linked to brackish and/or freshwater environments, could originate from any Miocene stratigraphic units