Dentex Cuvier, 1814

Genus Dentex Cuvier, 1814 View in CoL

Remarks Te genus Dentex has been subdivided into several subgenera, most of which are regarded as valid genera in the recent literature ( Fricke et al., 2022). Molecular studies ( Chiba et al., 2009 and Santini et al., 2014) have consistently shown the genus Dentex to be polyphyletic. Te species currently allocated to Dentex ( Froese & Pauly, 2022) contain two distinct otolith morphologies, one with more elongate otoliths and the other with more compressed otoliths ( Nolf, 1979). As far as their otoliths are known, the distinction of the two otolith morphotypes reflects the the clustering of the molecular phylogeny. Te type species, Dentex dentex , belongs to the elongate otolith morphotype. Te compressed otolith morphotype is found in the species D. angolensis , D. congoensis , D. macrophthalmus and D. maroccanus (see Nolf, 1979). Dentex macrophthalmus is the type species of Opsodentex , established as subgenus of Dentex by Fowler (1925). In the light of the congruence of molecular and otolith morphology data I, therefore, propose to use Opsodentex as a valid genus for the above mentioned four nominal Dentex species, the fossil otolith-based Dentex gregarius (Koken, 1891) and Opsodentex mordax n. sp. described in the following. Fossil otolith-based evidence shows that these two morphotypes belong to lineages that have been separate since at least the Late Oligocene ( Schwarzhans, 1994, 2010). It should be noted, however, that distinction of Opsodentex , Polysteganus and Evynnis by means of otolths is complex and requires further investigation.