The fossil otolith record of fishes (Vertebrata: Teleostei) in Greece

Otoliths are a unique tool for reconstructing past fish faunas, their evolution, and paleobiogeography, and they exhibit many applications as paleobathymetric and paleoecological indicators. The studies of fish otoliths and skeletal parts complement each other. Indeed, some taxa appear more commonly as fossils through their skeletal parts, whereas others are often identified from their otoliths. In Greece, the richest record is that of the marine Pleistocene, thanks to extensive studies conducted with focus on both the Ionian and the Aegean area. Important data also exist for the Neogene (Zanclean, Messinian, and Tortonian). Future studies should focus on filling the knowledge gaps in the fossil teleost record, namely in the early Cenozoic, the Piacenzian, and the Holocene periods, which would enable further synthetic studies on the evolution of the Mediterranean fish fauna. Moreover, a considerable gap due to lack of research effort exists for the freshwater fish. Despite these drawbacks, 122 species, 95 genera, and 49 teleost fish families have been identified from 27 localities in Greece based on fish otoliths, demonstrating the very promising potential of otolith investigations.