Dineley, D. & Metcalf, S. GCR Editor: D. Palmer. 1999. Fossil Fishes of Great Britain. Geological Conservation Review Series No. 16. JNCC, Peterborough, ISBN 1 86107 470 0. The original source material for these web pages has been made available by the JNCC under the Open Government Licence 3.0. Full details in the JNCC Open Data Policy
Lee-on-Solent
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Highlights
This site offers a range of chondrichthyan taxa comparable to that described immediately above. It has a very good range of teleost otoliths, in addition to the abundant selachian teeth and other remains.
Introduction
A diverse vertebrate fauna has been recovered from several levels within the uppermost beds of the Bracklesham Group on the lower foreshore at Lee-on-Solent. The fauna is particularly rich in shark teeth and the site has yielded over 30 species of selachians. Chimaeroids, which are poorly known elsewhere in the Middle Eocene, are represented at Lee by five species, including the type of Elasmodus kempi Ward, 1976. Teleost otoliths are extremely well represented in the fossiliferous beds.
Description
The vertebrate-bearing beds occur within the uppermost part of the Bracklesham Group, the Selsey and Huntingbridge Divisions of Fisher (1862). The vertebrate fauna is composed of mammals, reptiles, birds and fishes, in association with a diverse invertebrate fauna in which crustacea and molluscs predominate.
Fauna
Marsh Farm Formation
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Squalomorphii
Heterodontus vincenti (Leriche, 1905)
H. woodwardi Casier, 1946
Isistius trituratus (Winkler, 1874)
Notorhynchus kempi Ward, 1979
Squalus minor (Leriche, 1902)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Squatinomorphii
Squatina prima (Winkler, 1873)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Galeomorphii
Alopias leeensis Ward, 1978
Carcharias bopei (Agassiz, 1843)
Carcharinus sp.
Carcharocles auriculatus (de Blainville, 1818)
Eostegostoma angusta (Nolf and Taverne in Herman, 1977)
Galeocerdo latidens Agassiz, 1843
Galeorhinus minor (Agassiz, 1835)
G. recticonus (Winkler, 1874)
G. cf. ypresiensis (Casier, 1946)
Hemiscyllium bruxelliensis (Herman, 1977)
Isurus praecursor (Leriche, 1904)
Isurolamna affinis (Casier, 1946)
Jaeckelotodus trigonalis (Jaekel, 1895)
'Lamna' lerichei Casier, 1946
Nebrius thielensi (Winkler, 1873)
Odontaspis winkleri (Leriche, 1905)
Physogaleus secundus (Winkler, 1874)
P. tertius (Winkler, 1874)
Scyliorhinus gilberti Casier, 1946
S. pattersoni Cappetta, 1977
Scyliorhinus spp.
'Scyliorhinus' minutissimus (Winkler, 1873)
'S.' biauriculatus Casier, 1950
'Scyliorhinus' sp.
Synodontaspis macrotus (Agassiz, 1843)
S. acutissima (Agassiz, 1843)
S. striatus (Winkler, 1874)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Batomorphii
Aetobatus irregularis Agassiz, 1843
Aetobatus sp.
Burnhamia davesi (Woodward, 1889)
Dasyatis duponti (Winkler, 1847)
D. jaekeli (Leriche, 1905)
Dasyatis sp.
Myliobatis dixoni Agassiz, 1843
M. latidens Woodward, 1888
M. nzadinensis (Dartevelle and Casier, 1943)
M. striatus Buckland, 1837
M. toliapicus Agassiz, 1843
Myliobatis sp.
Pristis lathami (Galeotti, 1837) Pristis sp.
Propristis schweinfurthi Dames, 1883
Rhinobatos bruxelliensis (Jaekel, 1894)
Rhinoptera sherbourni White, 1926
Rhynchobatus vincenti Uaekel, 1894)
Chondrichthyes: Holocephali: Chimaeriformes
Amylodon venablesae (Casier, 1966)
Callorhinchus newtoni Ward, 1973
Edaphodon bucklandi (Agassiz, 1843)
E. leptognathus Agassiz, 1843
Elasmodus kempi Ward, 1976
Huntingbridge Division
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Squalomorphii
Heterodontus vincenti (Leriche, 1905)
H. woodwardi Casier, 1946
Notorhynchus kempi Ward, 1979
Squalus minor (Leriche, 1902)
Isistius trituratus (Winkler, 1874)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Squatinomorphii
Squatina prima (Winkler, 1873)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Galeomorphii
Carcharias hopei (Agassiz, 1843)
Galeocerdo latidens Agassiz, 1843
Galeorhinus minor (Agassiz, 1835)
G. recticonus (Winkler, 1874)
G. cf. ypresiensis (Casier, 1946)
Hemiscyllium bruxelliensis (Herman, 1977)
Isurus praecursor (Leriche, 1904)
Isurolamna affinis (Casier, 1946)
Jaeckelotodus trigonalis Uaekel, 1895)
'Lamna' lerichei Casier, 1946
Odontaspis winkleri (Leriche, 1905)
Physogaleus secundus (Winkler, 1874)
P. tertius (Winkler, 1874)
Scyliorhinus gilberti Casier, 1946
S. pattersoni Cappetta, 1977
Scyliorhinus spp.
'Scyliorhinus'minutissimus (Winkler, 1873)
'S.' biauriculatus Casier, 1950
'Scyliorhinus' sp.
Synodontaspis macrotus (Agassiz, 1843)
S. acutissima (Agassiz, 1843)
S. striatus (Winkler, 1874)
Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Neoselachii: Batomorphii
Archaeomanta melenhorsti Herman, 1979
Aetobatus sp.
Burnhamia davesi (Woodward, 1889)
Dasyatis duponti (Winkler, 1847)
D. jaekeli (Leriche, 1905)
D. tricuspidata Casier, 1946
D. wochadunensis Ward, 1979
Myliobatis dixoni Agassiz, 1843
M. latidens Woodward, 1888
M. cf. toliapicus Agassiz, 1843
Myliobatis sp.
?Myripristis sp.
Pristis lathami (Galeotti, 1837)
Pristis sp.
Rhinobatos bruxelliensis (Jaekel, 1894)
Rhynchobatus vincenti Uaekel, 1894)
Chondrichthyes: Holocephali: Chimaeriformes
Edaphodon bucklandi (Agassiz, 1843)
E. leptognathus Agassiz, 1843
Bracklesham Group, undifferentiated
Indeterminate selachian dermal denticles, vertebrae, tail spines and coprolites
Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii: Acipenseroidei
Acipenser sp.
Osteichthyes: Neopterygii: Amiiformes
Amia sp.
Osteichthyes: Teleostei: Osteoglossiformes
Brychaetes sp.
Osteichthyes: Neopterygii: Pycnodontiformes
Pycnodus sp.
Osteichthyes: Acanthopterygii: Scombroidei
Cybium proosti (Storms, 1876)
Cylindracanthus rectus (Dixon, 1850)
Sphyraenodus cf. antiquus Casier, 1966
Trichuroides sagittidens (Winkler, 1874)
T. winkeri Casier, 1944
T. gulincki Casier, 1967
Xiphiorhynchus sp.
Osteichthyes: Acanthopterygii: Perciformes
Platylaemus colei Dixon, 1850
Platylaemus sp.
Sparcus sp.
?Lutianus concavus (Priem, 1912)
Osteichthyes: Elopomorpha: Anguilliformes
Conger sp.
Osteichthyes: Euteleostei: Tetradontiformes
Eotrigodon serratus (Gervais, 1852)
Interpretation
The uppermost Bracklesham Beds at Lee-on-Solent were deposited under conditions very similar to those that prevailed at Bracklesham Bay (q.v.), and the faunal list is correspondingly similar. Its richness in neoselachians and chimaeriforms is especially conspicuous and in part suggests a rich supply of food at upper and mid-water levels i.e. nekton and larger plankton.
The number of chondrichthyan species is large, with batomorphs and galeomorphs predominating, as elsewhere. Nevertheless there is an appreciable teleost element present, plus Acipenser and Amia. The scombroid teleosts and perciforms represent a fauna of active, small- to middle-sized fishes. Some genera such as Conger, Acipenser and Amia (which reach larger sizes) may have been somewhat migratory in habit, but it is difficult to impute such behaviour to these fossil forms.
Since most of the taxa are based on teeth, it is unlikely that taphonomic data will ever be significant. Selective sedimentation of hard parts cannot be ruled out, so that concentration of fossils may have occurred. On the other hand, there is no reliable evidence of mass mortality, nor of periodic influx of dead fish from other environments. The simplest interpretation of the fossils is that they accrued from large and flourishing fish populations.
Comparison with other localities
Comparison with the fossil yield at Bracklesham Bay (q.v.) is obvious, and similar depositional conditions and habitats are indicated. No other localities are as productive of fossil fishes at this level.
Conclusion
The conservation value of this site lies in its exceptionally rich fauna of fossil shark remains. The population of such predatory fishes would have depended upon a large mass of prey. The latter may have included other fishes as well as pelagic invertebrates and bottom-dwelling molluscs. However, the disarticulated remains and lack of taphonomic information precludes speculation about the rates and causes of mortality.