Coryphopterus Gill, 1863

Schwarzhans, Werner W. & Aguilera, Orangel A., 2024, Otoliths of the Gobiidae from the Neogene of tropical America, Swiss Journal of Palaeontology (13) 143 (1), pp. 1-129 : 88

Genus Coryphopterus Gill, 1863

Coryphopterus contains two rather distinct otolith morphotypes, one where the otolith proportions (OL:OH) are equal or larger than 1.0 which contains most of the species, and one containing C. lipernes and C. personatus which are characterized by high-bodied otoliths with a ratio OL:OH <1.0 and broadly concave anterior and posterior rims. In a phylogenetic assessment of the Atlantic species of the genus Coryphopterus by Baldwin et al. (2009) C. lipernes and C. personatus are shown in a discrete clade together with C. hyalinus of which otoliths are not known. Baldwin et al. (2009) also showed C. dicrus , C. glaucofraenum , C. tortugae and C. venezuelae in one clade and C. thrix and C. eidolon somewhat separated from both. Coryphopterus alloides and C. kuna were regarded as the most basal taxa in the phylogeny of Coryphopterus . Unfortunately, otoliths of these two species are unknown. Coryphopterus species occur mostly in shallow water over sand and reef rubble, and some species are reef associated.