The Early Pleistocene fish fauna of Faliraki Bay section (Rhodes Island, Dodekanese)

The first results regarding the Early Pleistocene Teleostean marine fish fauna of the Faliraki area (Rhodes Island, Dodekanese) are presented as revealed through the study of fish otoliths. In the Faliraki Bay section outcrops the Rhodes Formation, consisting of Kritika Member, Kolymbia Member, and Lindos Bay Clay Member, both now assigned to the Early Pleistocene. Fish otoliths have been found within the Kolymbia and Lindos Bay Clay Members.
   Significant is the first record of the modern species Notoscopelus bolini Nafpaktitis 1975 in the Kolumbia Member of Faliraki Bay section. N. bolini resembles the N. elongatus elognatus which has been recorded in various localities of the Western and Central Mediterranean, but has a greater postero-ventral width. The Faliraki specimen also shares a lot of characters with N. resplendens of Nolf & Cappetta from the Neogene sediments of SE France may also be attributed to Notoscopelus bolini. This species has been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea since the Tortonian, and today it occupies the central – eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a temperate pelagic – oceanic species, which exhibits a maximum abundance between 45-50 meters modern sea depth. Important also is the presence of the Lampadena aff. urophaos atlantica Maul 1969 in the Early Pleistocene deposits of the Kolymbia Member, which has previously only been recorded in the Middle Pleistocene bathyal deposits of Vallone Catrica section. The modern distribution of this species is restricted to the North Atlantic. It is a bathypelagic species which occupies water depths between 60 m and 1000 m.
   The sediments of the Lindos Bay Clay Member of Faliraki Bay section reveal a very rich otolith association. The great majority of specimens belong to the Myctophidae family, with representatives namely Ceratoscopelus maderensis Lowe 1939, Diaphus holti Taning 1918, Diaphus rafinesquii (Cocco 1838), Diaphus taaningi Norman 1930, Hygophum benoiti (Cocco 1829), Hygophum hygomi (Lutken 1892), Lobianchia dofleini (Zugmayer 1911), Electrona risso (Cocco 1829), Notoscopelus sp., Myctophum punctatum Rafinesque 1810, Benthosema glaciale (Reinhardt 1837) (very scarce and small otoliths only), Lampanyctus crocodilus (Risso 1810), and Scopelopsis pliocenicus. Present are also members of the family Gadidae, such as Gadiculus argenteus Guichenaut 1850, as well as Gobiidae. The Teleost fish assemblage of the Lindos Bay Clay Member is composed of an abundant and diversified pelagic group and to a lesser degree by a benthopelagic and benthic group. This type of fauna generally characterizes the continental slope environment, with the depth usually exceeding 200 meters. This is in good agreement with the estimations of 300-600 meters in the lower part of the section to 200-300 meters near the top, as provided through the study of the bryozoans associations in the Lindos Bay section.