Diaphus dirknolfi Schwarzhans, 1986

Diaphus dirknolfi Schwarzhans, 1986

Figure 12m –o View Fig

1986 Diaphus dirknolfi —Schwarzhans: pl. 3, Figs. 34, 35.

2022 Diaphus dirknolfi Schwarzhans, 1986 —Carnevale & Schwarzhans: Fig. 7 J–P View Fig (see there for further references).

2022 Diaphus dirknolfi Schwarzhans, 1986 —van Hinsbergh & Hoedemakers: pl. 11, Figs. 4–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig .

Material 90 specimens, Zanclean : 84 specimens Dar bel Hamri (figured specimen SMF PO 101.198 ) , 4 specimens Sidi Mohamed ech Chleuh ( SMF PO 101.199 ) , 2 specimens Asilah .

Discussion Diaphus dirknolfi was originally established on specimens from Dar bel Hamri with incompletely preserved denticles along the ventral rim, which resulted in a too high count of 12–14 denticles. Te species was redefined in 2022 by Carnevale and Schwarzhans (2022) based on better preserved specimens from the type locality and the nearby location Sidi Mohammed ech Chleuh, which yielded uneroded specimens. Te recount of the denticles along the ventral rim resulted in 6–8. Van Hinsbergh and Hoedemakers (2022) reported 7–11 denticles. Tese records show that the number of denticles is quite variable in this species, but mostly seems to fall in the range of 7–9. Obviously, this characteristic cannot be used as a distinguishing trait between D. dirknolfi , the Early to Middle Miocene D. hataii (Ohe & Araki, 1973) , and the extant D. dumerilii (Bleeker, 1856) , but other characteristics such as the proportional length of rostrum to antirostrum and the proportions of ostium and cauda remain valid (see Carnevale & Schwarzhans, 2022, for details). Diaphus dirknolfi is known from the latest Messinian (Lago Mare interval) to the Piacenzian of the Mediterranean and the Zanclean of Morocco.