Merluccius polli Cadenat, 1950

Schwarzhans, Werner, 2023, Geology and stratigraphy of the Neogene section along the Oued Beth between Dar bel Hamri and El Kansera (Rharb Basin, northwestern Morocco) and its otolith-based fish fauna: a faunal inventory for the Early, Swiss Journal of Palaeontology (4) 142 (1), pp. 1-85 : 26

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-023-00268-4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ED255D-3B29-FFA2-9A05-6C9BFC8E57C6
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Merluccius polli Cadenat, 1950
status

Treatment

Merluccius polli Cadenat, 1950 View in CoL

Figure 14j–l View Fig

Material 9 fragmentary specimens, 1 specimen from Kef Nsour, SMF PO 101.208 , Messinian ; 8 specimens Dar bel Hamri, figured specimens SMF PO 101.209 , Zanclean .

Discussion None of the specimens available are complete, the best preserved ones are from two-thirds of a specimen. Te depressed predorsal projection and the rounded anterior tip are considered typical for M. polli in otoliths of Merluccius species from the East Atlantic. Te most complete specimen of Fig. 14j View Fig is 18 mm in length and reconstructed for the broken part would have been about 24 mm in length. Te largest, not figured fragmented specimen may have been 33 mm in length when complete. For comparison, extant otoliths are figured of M. merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758) ( Fig. 14g View Fig ), M. senegalensis Cadenat, 1950 ( Fig. 14h View Fig ), and M. polli ( Fig. 14i View Fig ). Today, M. polli is known from the west African shelf off Mauritania to Angola from 29° to 19°S in deep water from 50 to 550 m.