Evermannia chiriquiensis, Schwarzhans & Aguilera, 2024

Evermannia chiriquiensis n. sp.

Figure 45n View Fig

Holotype NMB P15842 View Materials ( Fig. 45n View Fig ), upper Zanclean , upper Cayo Agua FM, Atlantic Panama, PPP 1188 .

Etymology Named after the Laguna de Chiriqui located in the back of the Cayo Agua Island, the type locality.

Diagnosis Otolith size 1.65 mm in length. OL:OH = 1.0. Otolith high-bodied, with strongly expanded postdorsal region. Preventral angle orthogonal, postventral angle recessed; postdorsal projection angular, not protruding beyond middle part of posterior rim. Sulcus large, shallow, with nivellated ostial lobe and broad indentation of ventral sulcus margin at collum; OL:SuL= 1.65; sulcus inclination angle 20°. No subcaudal iugum. Ventral furrow narrow, curving around sulcus to join narrow, furrow-like dorsal depression.

Description Otolith size 1.65 mm in length (holotype). OH:OT = 3.6. Otolith high-bodied; dorsal rim high, with broad, strongly expanded postdorsal region, slightly depressed rounded predorsal angle, and straight, relatively steeply inclined predorsal rim; postdorsal projection angular, slightly protruding but not beyond tip of posterior rim. Anterior rim nearly vertical, straight. Posterior rim with concavity below postdorsal projection followed towards ventral by distinct bulge. Ventral rim straight, horizontal, with orthogonal preventral angle and deeply recessed postventral angle. All rims smooth.

Inner face convex, particularly bent in horizontal direction, relatively smooth. Sulcus moderately wide, shallow, sole-shaped with low, rounded ostial lobe, its ostial tip tapering; sulcus margins at ostial-caudal joint broadly ingressing ventrally; cauda with rounded tip; sulcus inclination angle 20°; OL:SuL = 1.65. No subcaudal iugum. Dorsal depression very narrow, close to dorsal rim of otolith, relatively indistinct; ventral furrow narrow, relatively close to ventral rim of otolith, turning around sulcus and joining up to dorsal depression. Outer face slightly concave, smooth.

Discussion Evermannia chiriquiensis is based on a single, well-preserved, and large otolith that matches extant otoliths of Evermannia in many diagnostic features, i.e., the shape of the sulcus with the low ostial lobe and the ventral indentation, the sulcus being shallow, the shape of the posterior rim, the convex and smooth inner face, and the pattern of the ventral furrow joining up with the narrow, furrow-like dorsal depression. Otoliths are known of three of the four extant species of Evermannia , plus a species identified as Evermannia sp. that originates from near the type location of E. longipinnis and may represent that species ( Fig. 45i View Fig ). Te otoliths of the extant species of Evermannia show a variety of diagnostic features. Tus, the shape of the dorsal rim of E. chiriquiensis resembles the shape in E. sp. ( Fig. 45i View Fig ) and E. zosterura ( Fig. 45m View Fig ) but is more strongly expanded. Te specific shape of the posterior rim most resembles that of Evermannia sp. Te sulcus shape resembles that of E. erici ( Fig. 45j View Fig ) and E. zosterura , while that of Evermannia sp. shows a rounded ostial lobe, and the sulcus of E. panamensis

( Fig. 45k–l View Fig ) is very small. Evermannia chiriquiensis differs from the otoliths of all extant species in the strongly inclined sulcus (20° vs ≤ 15°).