Marine fishes (Elasmobranchii, Teleostei) from the Glendon Limestone Member of the Byram Formation (Oligocene, Rupelian) at site AWa-9, Washington County, Alabama, USA, including a new species of gobiid (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae)

The Oligocene (Rupelian) Byram Formation (Vicksburg Group) in Alabama, USA, is divided into three members, including (in ascending order) the Glendon Limestone, unnamed marl, and Bucatunna Clay. The marine units Alabama have been historically under-investigated, but bulk samples recently obtained from Limestone Member exposures at site AWa-9 Washington County yielded 20 unequivocal elasmobranch teleost taxa. This surprisingly diverse paleofauna, based on isolated teeth, bones otoliths, includes new taxon, Gobiosoma ? axsmithi sp. nov., as well “ Aetomylaeus ” sp.,  Albula sp., Aplodinotus gemma Koken, 1888, Ariosoma nonsector Nolf Stringer, 2003, Balistidae indet.,  Citharichthys Myliobatoidei indet., Diretmus Hemipristis Negaprion aff. N. gilmorei (Leriche, 1942), Pachyscyllium Paralbula Physogaleus Preophidion meyeri (Koken, 1888), Sciaena pseudoradians  (Dante Frizzell Dante, 1965), Sciaenops Sparus elegantulus 1888,  Sphyraena Syacium Additional remains were recovered could not be identified beyond undetermined Elasmobranchii or Teleostei. All these taxa represent first occurrences within Limestone Member specimens represent of each Gulf Coastal Plain USA. We also report record Blake, 1940 teeth, occurrence an Oligocene member Western Hemisphere. vertebrate assemblage indicates that the Glendon represented a subtropical to temperate, middle shelf paleoenvironment with paleowater depth interpreted 30–100 m.