Present day distribution and historical biogeography of the tribe Ophidiini (Ophidiiformes, Ophidiidae, Ophidiinae) from the East Tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA area) and North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean (CLOFNAM area)

The present day geographic distribution of the Ophidiini tribe (Ophidiidae, Ophidiinae) in the Clofnam (North- Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean) and Clofeta (Eastern Tropical Atlantic) areas is revised in this paper. Results show that Parohidion vassali is not a Mediterranean endemic species, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: MATALLANAS, Jesus, CASADEVALL, Margarida
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: Station Biologique de Roscoff (SBR) 1999
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.21411/cbm.a.bda85bfa
http://application.sb-roscoff.fr/cbm/doi/10.21411/CBM.A.BDA85BFA
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Summary:The present day geographic distribution of the Ophidiini tribe (Ophidiidae, Ophidiinae) in the Clofnam (North- Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean) and Clofeta (Eastern Tropical Atlantic) areas is revised in this paper. Results show that Parohidion vassali is not a Mediterranean endemic species, and the presence of Ophidion barbatum in the Atlantic is confirmed. Moreover, the paper tries to analyse the historical events which could have caused the present situation of two genera, Ophidion and Parophidion, both in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. Although first fossil records of Ophidion and Parophidion date from the Pliocene, when considering all the historical events occurred from the existence of the Tethys Sea to the opening of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean formation, a much earlier origin of these genera seems to be more likely. The situation of Ophidion barbatum and O. rochei in the Mediterranean and Black Sea is also discussed.