†Dicentrarchus oligocenicus, sp. nov. (Perciformes, Moronidae): the first record of an Oligocene Sea Bass skeleton from Romania, with a revision of †Morone major (Agassiz) from Piatra-Neamţ (Eastern Carpathians)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Oligocene fish fauna of the Romanian Eastern Carpathians is of great interest for the study of the extinct European perciform fish assemblages because their diversity and fine preservation. Amongst these deposits, some exceptional fossil localities such as the recently discovered outcrop from the Coza Valley and the well-known historical locations (sites) from Piatra-Neamț and Suslănești, often offer new insights about the Paratethys fish faunas. Herein, we report for the first time the discovery of a fish skeleton originating from the Bituminous Marls Formation exposed in the Coza Valley (Vrancea Half-Window, Marginal Folds Nappe) that we refer to †Dicentrarchus oligocenicus, sp. nov.. Also, we review an existing specimen previously misidentified as †Morone major (Agassiz) found in the Lower Dysodilic Shales Formation of Piatra-Neamț (Bistrița-Râșca Half-Window, Marginal Folds Nappe) that will be referred henceforth to the Percoidei incertae sedis. While the new species described herein has been classified as belonging to the family Moronidae because of obvious meristic, morphometric and osteological features, the other species has been removed from this family due to the lack of diagnostic characters. Remarks on how †Dicentrarchus oligocenicus, sp. nov. differs from all extant and extinct representatives of moronid fishes are given.