An exceptional coastal upwelling fish assemblage in the Caribbean Neogene

We report the discovery of an extremely rich, previously undescribed Caribb ean late Miocene to early Pliocene ichthyofauna represented by one hundred forty species of elasmobranchs and teleosteans from the Cubagua Formation, northeastern Venezuela. The fauna exhibits significant ecological differenc es compared with common neritic Caribbean Neogene assemblages. The bathymet ric distributions of taxa, based on living counterparts, ranges from 0 to 1 00 m depth. The exceptional co-occurrence of deep water (epipelagic, mesope lagic and benthopelagic), and shallow water (neritic) taxa is best interpre ted as the consequence of ocean upwelling in the proximity to the deep-wate r Cariaco Trench. Patterns of predator and prey are established and corrobo rate upwelling. Special remarks are made regarding previously unknown late Miocene to early Pliocene Caribbean ichthyofaunas, the absence or rarity of reported fossil taxa in the Recent Caribbean fauna, and a paleo- upwelling indicator (Lampadena jacksoni new species).