First record of the pipefish Nerophis zapfei Bachmayer (Syngnathidae, Gasterosteiformes) from the Middle Miocene of Northern Moldova

Abstract

A pipefish of the species Nerophis zapfei Bachmayer, which was previously recorded only in the Badenian of Austria, is found in the Lower Sarmatian (Middle Miocene) of northern Moldova. The specimen under study is relatively well preserved, allowing a detailed description and improvement of diagnostic characters of the species. The find expands the geographical range of N. zapfei and also provides additional potentialities for interregional correlations.