Bollmannia communis Ginsburg, 1942

Bollmannia communis Ginsburg, 1942 View in CoL

Figure 17e–j View Fig

1992 Gobiidae sp. 2—Nolf & Stringer: pl. 17, Fig. 13 View Fig .

Material (fossil specimens) 48 specimens: Messinian: 1 specimen Dominican Republic, Gurabo FM, NMB 15864 View Materials ( NMB P407 View Materials ); Zanclean, Atlantic Panama : 35 specimens; 2 specimens Shark Hole FM, PPP 2217 ; 25 specimens Cayo Agua FM , 24 specimens PPP 1276 ( NMB P15496 View Materials ) , 1 specimen PPP 2222 ; 8 specimens Cubagua FM , 5 specimens PPP 2570 , 3 specimens PPP 2571 ( NMB P15498 View Materials ) ; 1 specimen Piacenzian , Atlantic Costa Rica, Rio Banano FM, PPP 3245 ( NMB P15495 View Materials ) ; 11 specimens Gelasian: 7 specimens Atlantic Panama, Bastimentos FM , Ground Creek Unit , 5 specimens PPP 1256 , 2 specimens PPP 3204 ; 4 specimens, Atlantic Costa Rica, Moin FM , 1 specimen PPP 1776 ( NMB P15497 View Materials ) , 2 specimens PPP 2032 , 1 specimen PPP 2038 .

Discussion Otoliths of B. communis are similar to those of B. chlamydes (see above) from the East Pacific and those of the West Atlantic B. litura ( Fig. 17k–l View Fig ). Tey differ from B. chlamydes in the less projecting preventral angle, the higher predorsal angle, the often slightly projecting postdorsal angle and in the generally less strongly developed ornamentation of the dorsal rim. Furthermore, otoliths of B. communis remain thicker at large sizes compared to B. chlamydes (OH:OT = 2.75–3.0 vs 3.2–3.5 at sizes> 2.8 mm in length). We were unable to identify a reliable morphological difference between the otoliths of B. communis and B. litura .

Extant specimens of B. communis were collected on mud bottoms at depths of 18–77 m ( Van Tassell et al., 2012). Tey were primarily taken from the Gulf of Mexico and off Puerto Rico and French Guiana ( Van Tassell et al., 2012). Bollmannia litura was taken at depths of 12.8–71 m over mud and mixed-mud bottoms in the western Caribbean ( Van Tassell et al., 2012).