A new horned sculpin (Pisces: Cottidae) from the Miocene of Sakhalin Island, Russia

Abstract

A new species of the Recent genus Enophrys, E. hoplites sp. nov., is described from the Miocene (Serravalian‒Tortonian) Agnevo Formation of Sakhalin Island, Russia. This Miocene species differs from two Recent congeners in the greater number of anal fin rays (14 versus 9‒13), the smaller head, less raised margins of the orbit, flatter upper contour of the head, longer anal fin base, short predorsal distance, higher first dorsal fin, and in the right angle (versus acute angle) between two upper preopercular spines. An archaic feature of the new species is the presence of two rays on the posterior pterygiophore of the anal fin, a character recorded only in the most primitive Recent members of the family. The occurrence of this new fossil species shows that extant subfamilies, tribes, and genera existed as a part of the family Cottidae as early as the Miocene time.