60 
OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Number 159 
Order Gadiformes 
Family Moridae 
Genus Physiculus Kaup 1858 
Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert 1890 
Synonymy & References (fossils only) 
Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert 1890:113. 
Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert: Fitch 1969a:72, 75, table 1. 
Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert: Zinsmeister 1970:124, table 1. 
Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert: Fitch and Barker 1972:577-578. 
Type Specimen : Extant, Physiculus rastrelliger Gilbert, 29 syntypes, BMNH 1900.9.29.248 (1); SU 185 (13); 
USNM 44281 (1), 48266 (7), 57877 (2), 144974 (5) [Eschmeyer (1998:1429)]. 
Type Locality : Off Baja California, Mexico. 
Referred Specimens in Fitch (T969ah From LACMIP locality 471 (= LACM locality 3802), Upper Newport 
Bay (= Newport Back Bay Cliffs), Fernando Formation, Plio-Pleistocene, Orange County; 1,387 oto¬ 
liths (sagittae) (unfigured). 
From LACMIP locality 31425, Downtown Los Angeles, Pico Formation, Plio-Pleistocene, Los Angeles 
County; 33 otoliths (sagittae) (unfigured). 
Referred Specimens in Zinsmeister 09701 : From LACMIP locality 471 (=LACM locality 3802), Upper 
Newport Bay (= Newport Back Bay Cliffs), Fernando Formation, Plio-Pleistocene, Orange County; no 
individual specimens mentioned, only the presence of the genus in the deposit. He did not distinguish 
between teeth and otoliths as remains. 
Referred Specimens in Fitch and Barker ( 19721 : Repeats the discoveries listed in Fitch (1969a) and mentioned 
the otoliths reported by Zinsmeister (1970). In addition Fitch mentioned that he found otoliths in another 
Southern California Pliocene deposit at San Diego [(LACMIP locality 305 (= LACM locality 4213), San 
Diego, San Diego Formation, Late Pliocene, San Diego County]. He also noted he found otoliths at two 
Pleistocene deposits: LACMIP locality 473 (= LACM locality 389, 3784), Rincon Hill Road Upper Site, 
Santa Barbara Formation, Pleistocene, Santa Barbara County and Newport Beach (Jamboree Blvd.). He 
also mentioned that Barker (unpubl. data) found an unspecified number of otoliths of Physiculus at 
Centerville Beach, Pliocene, near Humboldt Bay, Humboldt County. 
Remarks : Fitch (1969a) also reported otoliths of P. rastrelliger from LACMIP locality 435 (Lomita Marl, 
Pliocene, Los Angeles County), however this locality is considered Pleistocene (Blake 1991; Dibblee 
1999). 
Family Moridae genus and species undetermined 
Referred Specimens in Fitch and Lavenberg 0968:721 : They state “fossil otoliths of morids are abundant in 
Pleistocene, Pliocene, and Miocene deposits throughout southern California, and morid skeletal ‘imprints’ 
are commonly encountered in Miocene diatomites and shales.” 
Referred Specimens in Huddleston and Takeuchi 12006:33. table P : From LACM locality 6907, Pomona 
Freeway Chalk Hill, Puente Formation, Late Miocene, Los Angeles County; no specific specimens men¬ 
tioned. 
