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Abstract This study offers a comprehensive analysis and detailed description of the fossil fish assemblage from the Pleistocene Laguna Formation in Luzon Island, Philippines. The fish fossils were collected from the deeper lacustrine facies of the formation, and a total of three fish families were identified. The identification is based on the recognizable synapomorphies in 10 moderately preserved semi-articulated individuals of ray-finned fish specimens, some of which include counterparts. The assemblage is predominantly composed of small clupeiforms of the family Dorosomatidae, accompanied by a gobioid fish (Gobiidae or Oxudercidae) and a synbranchid specimen (Synbranchidae), each represented by a single specimen. This taphocoenosis preserves free-swimming dorosomatids and demersal gobioid and synbranchid, suggesting an autochthonous assemblage with minimal postmortem sorting. Despite all recognized taxa being tolerant to changes in salinity, the environment is inferred to have been freshwater, analogous to modern Taal Lake, where a freshwater sardine thrives. This study represents the first systematic description of freshwater fish fossils in the Philippines and marks the first discovery of these taxa in the tropical West Pacific region.

Dongsha Island, situated in the northern part of the South China Sea, is surrounded by coral reefs and deep-sea habitats. The coastal areas of the atoll, a marine protected area, serve as important nursery habitats for many reef fish species. At the same time, the offshore deep-sea continental slopes are historically important fishing grounds. Although previous inventories primarily focused on coral reef fishes within the atoll listing 652 species from 73 families, comprehensive surveys of fishes from deeper waters have been incomplete. In this study, the species composition of the fish fauna around Dongsha was updated by analyzing large volumes of frozen bycatch from commercial deep-sea trawlers operating in the area for the past four years and reviewing the existing literature. The species list increased to 1087 species belonging to 167 families, including several documented as new records and potentially undescribed species. This updated checklist also includes images of each species and most of their sagittal otoliths. This will assist further taxonomic work and significantly enhance understanding of marine biodiversity in the South China Sea.

A new species of beardfish, genus Polymixia, is described based on three specimens collected in Taiwanese waters and off the Chesterfield Islands of New Caledonia. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: dorsal-fin rays IV–V, 35–37; gill rakers on outer face of first gill arch 3+1+6=10; scales row between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line vertically 6–8 (S1) and posteriorly 12–14 (S2); pyloric caeca 40; snout rounded, with its surface rough and gelatinous, its tip evidently protrude anterior margin of premaxilla; ctenii on body scales arranged in a wedge-shape, forming three rows; 4th anal-fin spine long, 1.0%–1.2% eye diameter; longer dorsal-fin, 49.6–53.0% SL; blackish oral-branchial cavity. Our maximum-likelihood tree based on mitochondrial COI sequences revealed that the new species is distinct from six congeneric species. Our findings indicate the presence of at least six Polymixia species in Taiwan, highlighting Taiwan and adjacent areas as a region with the highest diversity of this genus.

A collection of 1149 otoliths of the Ypresian and Ypresian–Lutetian transition (early Eocene) from 18 sites across five states in the eastern and southern regions of the USA was analyzed. In total, 33 otolith-based taxa are documented, of which 27 are identified at the species level. Nine of these are introduced as new species: “Conger” biaculeatus sp. nov., Bauzaia gibbosa sp. nov., Ampheristus brevicaudatus sp. nov., Symmetrosulcus virginicus sp. nov., Neobythites longesulcatus sp. nov., “Neobythites” pamunkeyensis sp. nov., “Neobythites” stringeri sp. nov., Waitakia dorsogibbosa sp. nov., and “Haemulon” ypresiensis sp. nov. The assemblages are distinct when compared to their younger Eocene counterparts in America. This distinction is primarily characterized by the high proportion of the newly introduced species or exclusive Ypresian species. Additionally, we highlight the presence of 10 amphi-Atlantic species originally described in European deposits. Significantly, the composition of the otolith collection supports the interpretation of a shallow-water environment for the sampled sites during the Ypresian. This ecological setting appears to persist into the subsequent middle and late Eocene within the same geographic region.

The island of Taiwan, with its diverse microclimates and key position on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, attracts numerous bird enthusiasts due to its diverse avian fauna. Nevertheless, due to the scarcity of fossil records, there is a significant knowledge gap between modern and ancient avifaunas in Taiwan. Currently, there is only a single described Pleistocene fossil; it is attributed to Phasianidae. To address this gap, this study describes two new bird fossils, a left humerus and a left tibiotarsus, and discusses them in detail herein. The fossils were collected from the Liuchungchi Formation (Early Pleistocene, 1.95–1.35 Ma) in Niubu, Chiayi, southwestern Taiwan, which represents a neritic environment. The fossils are identified as from species of Gaviidae (loons), with the humerus belonging to an undetermined species of Gavia and the tibiotarsus to Gavia stellata. Loons are seabirds that are primarily distributed in high- and middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, these birds are extremely rare in modern Taiwan: records are scarce and most are limited to northern and northeastern Taiwan since the 1860s, indicating that the modern Gavia birds only occasionally visit Taiwan. All known Pleistocene fossils of species of Gavia from the northern West Pacific come from Japan. The Taiwan fossils of Gavia provide valuable bird evolutionary and paleobiogeographic information for the subtropical West Pacific and may imply the presence of a distinct avifauna in the region during the Early Pleistocene.

A rare spiny-scale pricklefish, Hispidoberyx ambagiosus Kotlyar, 1981, is redescribed based on four specimens collected from Taiwan. Their sampling locality represents the northernmost record of the family, which extends the family’s distribution from the eastern Indian Ocean and the South China Sea to northeastern Taiwan in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. A detailed description of these specimens and the first description of its sagittal otoliths are provided. In addition, the specimens are compared with other known specimens. Intraspecific variation of some morphological characters are discussed.

Abstract Understanding the diversity of deep-sea fish fauna based on otoliths in the tropical and subtropical West Pacific has been limited, creating a significant knowledge gap regarding regional and temporal variations in deep-sea fish fauna. To address this gap, we collected a total of 122 bulk sediment samples from the Lower Pliocene Gutingkeng Formation in southwestern Taiwan to reconstruct the otolith-based fish fauna. Using planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, we determined the age of the samples to be 5.6 to 3.1 Ma. A total of 8314 otoliths were assigned to 64 different taxa from 33 families, including the discovery of one new genus, Gutingichthys gen. nov., and three new species: Benthosema duanformis sp. nov., Benthosema parafibulatum sp. nov., and Gutingichthys changi sp. nov. Comparisons with other regional otolith-based assemblages highlighted the exceptional diversity of our collection, making it the most diverse fossil fish fauna reported from Taiwan to date. Otolith diversity analysis revealed very few taxa were dominant in the assemblage, particularly the mesopelagic Myctophidae, with a wide variety of minor taxa. The co-occurrence of shallow-water elements suggests episodic storm events as a potential source. The predominance of deep-sea and oceanic fishes indicated an outer-shelf to upper slope environment, resembling the modern outer-shelf and upper slope fish fauna in the region. Our findings suggest an early establishment and persistent presence of the mesopelagic fish community since the Early Pliocene. Further investigations of the Upper Miocene and Pleistocene sections of the Gutingkeng Formation would provide valuable insights into the evolution of deep-sea fish fauna in the area. ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A336FC7-0D9A-4D17-B212-0B51427945DD.

The Indo-West Pacific is home to a diverse array of modern fish species, and the study of their fossils can provide valuable insights into the origins and evolution of this biodiversity. This report presents rare remains of five individuals of acropomatiform fish, including a semi-articulated skeleton, recovered from the Upper Kueichulin Formation (Lower Pliocene) in northern Taiwan. The fossils are preserved in the form of nodules discovered at the locality known for abundant marine crustaceans and echinoderms. These specimens can be assigned to the family Stereolepididae, based on morphology of the opercle with the presence of two spines, a preopercle characterized by serrations on the posterior margin and denticulations on the ventral margin, and a distinctive skull architecture. Differences in skull morphology distinguish these specimens from other species within the genus and thus are described as Stereolepis arcanum n. sp. Significantly, the species represents the oldest known record of the family globally and stands as the second known fossil representative. This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the palaeobiodiversity of fish fauna in the Indo-West Pacific during the Neogene, but also highlights the importance of further research efforts in this area.

Conservation paleobiology has coalesced over the last two decades since its formal coining, united by the goal of applying geohistorical records to inform the conservation, management, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, the field is still attempting to form an identity distinct from its academic roots. Here, we ask a deceptively simple question: What is conservation paleobiology? To track its development as a field, we synthesize complementary perspectives from a survey of the scientific community that is familiar with conservation paleobiology and a systematic literature review of publications that use the term. We present an overview of conservation paleobiology’s research scope and compare survey participants’ perceptions of what it is and what it should be as a field. We find that conservation paleobiologists use a variety of geohistorical data in their work, although research is typified by near-time records of marine molluscs and terrestrial mammals collected over local to regional spatial scales. Our results also confirm the field’s broad disciplinary basis: survey participants indicated that conservation paleobiology can incorporate information from a wide range of disciplines spanning conservation biology, ecology, historical ecology, paleontology, and archaeology. Finally, we show that conservation paleobiologists have yet to reach a consensus on how applied the field should be in practice. The survey revealed that many participants thought the field should be more applied but that most do not currently engage with conservation practice. Reflecting on how conservation paleobiology has developed over the last two decades, we discuss opportunities to promote community cohesion, strengthen collaborations within conservation science, and align training priorities with the field’s identity as it continues to crystallize.

The Niubu fossil locality in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan is best known for its rich early Pleistocene marine fossils that provide insights into the poorly understood past diversity in the area. The elasmobranch teeth at this locality have been collected for decades by the locals, but have not been formally described and have received little attention. Here, we describe three museum collections of elasmobranch teeth (n = 697) from the Liuchungchi Formation (1.90–1.35 Ma) sampled at the Niubu locality, with an aim of constructing a more comprehensive view of the past fish fauna in the subtropical West Pacific. The assemblage is composed of 20 taxa belonging to nine families and is dominated by Carcharhinus and Carcharodon. The occurrence of †Hemipristis serra is of particular importance because it is the first Pleistocene record in the area. We highlight high numbers of large Carcharodon carcharias teeth in our sample correlating to body lengths exceeding 4 m, along with the diverse fossil elasmobranchs, suggesting that a once rich and thriving marine ecosystem in an inshore to offshore shallow-water environment during the early Pleistocene in Taiwan.

The fossil otoliths of the southern USA have been known for more than 130 years and are among the richest assemblages worldwide. However, previous studies are often scattered and with outdated systematic scheme. A collection of over 25000 otoliths ranging in age from the Lutetian to the Priabonian from 47 sites in five states in the eastern and southern USA is analysed here. Combined with the earlier described material, at least 101 otolith-based taxa are documented, of which 83 are identified at species level. Fourteen of these are introduced as new species: Elopothrissus bernardlemorti sp. nov., “Muraenesox” barrytownensis sp. nov., Pseudophichthys texanus sp. nov., Paraconger wechesensis sp. nov., Neoopisthopterus weltoni sp. nov., “aff. Glyptophidium” stringeri sp. nov., Symmetrosulcus dockeryi sp. nov., Mene garviei sp. nov., “Citharus” varians sp. nov., Waitakia beelzebub sp. nov., Astroscopus compactus sp. nov., Parascombrops yanceyi sp. nov., Anisotremus rambo sp. nov., and Pagellus pamunkeyensis sp. nov. The assemblages are distinct fom contemporary European faunas by the complete lack of mesopelagic fish otoliths, and by the presence of sciaenids. Dominant taxa in the American Eocene are the Ophidiidae, Sciaenidae, Lactariidae, and Congridae. They indicate shallow-water environments for all the sampled sites. The notable abundance of those taxa suggests that they could have a higher turnover rate, and provided fundamental nutrition in the local Paleogene marine ecosystem. Further analyses of the species in the stratigraphic succession revealed that a faunal turnover between the Claiborne and Jackson seas was evident in teleosts, and it might be more widespread in other marine organisms in the region.

Dental material attributed to Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis from the Middle to Late Pleistocene were recovered over decades from the Penghu Channel during commercial fisheries activities. The National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS) has a collection of such dental material, which differs in size and morphology and likely represents ontogenetic variation and growth trajectory of various age groups of P. huaihoensis. However, little is known regarding age determination. By using length of dental material, enamel thickness (ET), and plate counts, we established the method to distinguish the age of the species, which is directly derived from the extant African forest elephant Loxodonta africana. When measuring signs of allometric growth, we found that in both the upper and lower jaws, tooth width was correlated negatively with lamellar frequency but positively with ET. In the same age group, the number of lamellae was higher in P. huaihoensis than in L. africana. The reconstructed age distribution indicated no difference in the upper or lower jaw. Notably, within our sample, P. huaihoensis is skewed towards adult and older individuals with median age between 33–34.5 years and differed significantly from that of Mammuthus primigenius in the European Kraków Spadzista site. This age distribution pattern is speculated to be related to the harsh environmental conditions and intense intraspecific competition among P. huaihoensis during the last ice age.

This study analyzed the piscivorous diet of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) through species identification of both fish and otolith remains in stomachs of 183 bigeye tuna collected in the western Indian Ocean. A total of 642 fish remains and 1,021 fish otoliths were examined. Prey items identified in the fish and otolith remains were not completely consistent. Although 12 items out of the 53 identified taxa were found in both remains, 20 items of fish remains were not found in otolith remains, and 21 items were added only from the otoliths. The main fish remains were Alepisauridae, which accounted for 13.9%. Most of the otoliths belonged to Myctophidae (49.5%) and Scopelarchidae (21.4%). Three prey items, namely Valenciennellus tripunctulatus, Evermannella sp., and Zenion sp., were recorded for the first time in the diet of bigeye tuna from the region. The otolith remains substantially enhanced the taxonomic resolution of the diet. Bigeye tuna stomach contents were independent of location, depth, and time of catch but varied with tuna size. The proportion of dominant Myctophidae prey items decreased markedly as the tuna size increased, whereas the proportion of Macrouridae increased with size. In addition, larger bigeye tuna were found feeding on larger prey (Electrona risso and Scopelarchus analis), demonstrating that diet changes in both prey composition and size are related to the ontogeny of the fish.

Little is known about long-term changes in coral reef fish communities. Here we present a new technique that leverages fish otoliths in reef sediments to reconstruct coral reef fish communities. We found over 5,400 otoliths in 169 modern and mid-Holocene bulk samples from Caribbean Panama and Dominican Republic mid-Holocene and modern reefs, demonstrating otoliths are abundant in reef sediments. With a specially-built reference collection, we were able to assign over 4,400 otoliths to one of 56 taxa (35 families) though mostly at genus and family level. Many otoliths were from juvenile fishes for which identification is challenging. Richness (by rarefaction) of otolith assemblages was slightly higher in modern than mid-Holocene reefs, but further analyses are required to elucidate the underlying causes. We compared the living fish communities, sampled using icthyocide, with the sediment otolith assemblages on four reefs finding the otolith assemblages faithfully capture the general composition of the living fish communities. Radiocarbon dating performed directly on the otoliths suggests that relatively little mixing of sediment layers particularly on actively accreting branching coral reefs. All otolith assemblages were strongly dominated by small, fast-turnover fish taxa and juvenile individuals, and our exploration on taxonomy, functional ecology and taphonomy lead us to the conclusion that intense predation is likely the most important process for otolith accumulation in reef sediments. We conclude that otolith assemblages in modern and fossil reef sediments can provide a powerful tool to explore ecological changes in reef fish communities over time and space.

The Tortonian fish otoliths of northern Italy have been studied for more than a century and represent one of the best known otolith-based teleost faunas in the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin. Yet with the growing knowledge on Recent otoliths, an updated taxonomic overview of this fauna is needed. Moreover, new material from hemipelagic Tortonian marls sampled at nine localities is described herein, revealing 109 taxa of which 88 are recognised at species level. Four of these are new: Coryphaenoides biobtusus sp. nov., “Merluccius” rattazzii sp. nov., Neobythites auriculatus sp. nov. and Lesueurigobius stironensis sp. nov. The compilation of previously studied and newly acquired material revealed a total of 118 nominal Tortonian species. At generic level, the fauna is characterised by many modern forms; more than 90% can be assigned to present day genera. At species level, however, more than half of the represented taxa are extinct. Based on the fossil otolith record, the Tortonian fauna of the Mediterranean is most similar to that of the Langhian (Badenian) of the Central Paratethys by sharing many extinct Miocene species, but it is also very close to that of the Pliocene Mediterranean, by sharing many modern Atlantic-Mediterranean forms. The Tortonian fauna is further characterised by many species that are apparently confined to the upper Miocene, resulting in a unique combination of its taxonomic composition.

The Indo-West Pacific is home to a diverse array of modern fish species, and the study of their fossils can provide valuable insights into the origins and evolution of this biodiversity. This report presents rare remains of five individuals of acropomatiform fish, including a semi-articulated skeleton, recovered from the Upper Kueichulin Formation (Lower Pliocene) in northern Taiwan. The fossils are preserved in the form of nodules discovered at the locality known for abundant marine crustaceans and echinoderms. These specimens can be assigned to the family Stereolepididae, based on morphology of the opercle with the presence of two spines, a preopercle characterized by serrations on the posterior margin and denticulations on the ventral margin, and a distinctive skull architecture. Differences in skull morphology distinguish these specimens from other species within the genus and thus are described as Stereolepis arcanum n. sp. Significantly, the species represents the oldest known record of the family globally and stands as the second known fossil representative. This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the palaeobiodiversity of fish fauna in the Indo-West Pacific during the Neogene, but also highlights the importance of further research efforts in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the long tradition of studies, there are excellent potentials for research in Taiwan due to emerging techniques and innovative approaches. On the other hand, breakthroughs in DNA sequencing technology have revolutionized our life, and paleontologists can also benefit from the interdisciplinary cooperation to shed light on the phylogeny and development of fossil species through investigating extant sister species. Moreover, unstudied new fossils have been collected and accumulated over the years in Taiwan. New studies attaining higher resolution on the spatiotemporal dynamics of past faunas have provided insights into past biodiversity patterns. In this special issue, a new fossil wood from Taiwan is officially named. The oldest known fossil coral from Taiwan is reported. New fossil records of Sinaechinocyamus mai (Wang, 1984) are documented. Phylogenomics of living sand dollars (Echinodermata; Echinoidea) based on transcriptome with the inclusion of S. mai is discussed. Stereomic microstructures of the first Taiwan fossil echinoid Scaphechinus mirabilis A. Agassiz, 1864 are illustrated. Incomplete keyholed sand dollars can be distinguished at the generic level based on landmark analyses. Mophometrics provides a new approach to explain the circular outlines were achieved independently in distantly related lineages of sand dollars. Non-boring type fossil bivalves buried in situ from Taiwan is documented here for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present study, soymilk is fermented with lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus BCRC 14085, Lactobacillus acidophilus BCRC 14079) and bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium infantis BCRC 14633, B. longum B6) individually, and in combination. The change in the content of various isoflavones (aglycones, glucoside, acetyl- and malonyl-glucosides) and the β-glucosidase activity in soymilk during fermentation is investigated. It is observed that fermented soymilk contains a lower total isoflavone content (81.94–86.61μg/ml) than soymilk without fermentation (87.61μg/ml). Regardless of starter organism employed, fermentation causes a major reduction in the contents of glucoside, malonylglucoside and acetylglucoside isoflavones along with a significant increase of aglycone isoflavones content. The level of change in the content of various isoflavones and β-glucosidase activity after fermentation varies with the starter organism. Among all the fermented soymilks tested, soymilk fermented with S. thermophilus showed the highest β-glucosidase activity and the greatest increase in the contents of aglycones. The percentage of daidzein, genistein and glycitein to total isoflavone content in S. thermophilus-fermented soymilk increases from an initial 14.24%, 6.89% and 2.45%, respectively, to 36.20%, 28.80% and 12.44% after 24h of fermentation. Finally, the increase of aglycones and decrease of glucoside isoflavones during fermentation coincides with the increase of β-glucosidase activity observed in fermented soymilk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The recently exposed outcrops along the Dahan River in Shulin, northern Taiwan revealed diverse and abundant marine fossils including molluscs, shark and ray teeth, sand dollars, and otoliths from a wide range of fish taxa. In addition, numerous small and fragile fossil scleractinians were found and identified here as Dendrophyllia sp., from the mainly azooxanthellate (90%) dendrophylliid family. Lithology of the outcrops are mainly composed of grey sandstones from the Tapu Formation (Late Miocene), overlying on a layer of basaltic tuff. The absolute age of the boundary between the Tapu Formation and the underlying Nanchuang Formation is 8 Ma, which provides indications on the maximum age possible for the scleractinian fossils found in this study. Back then, the marine ecosystem in which the sampled Dendropyllia specimens grew was probably a turbid shallow coastal environment with muddy to sandy bottom, likely at the vicinity of a river estuary, as suggested by the combined presence of previously reported fish otoliths. To our knowledge, this is the first record of Dendrophyllia fossils from Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]