“…A number of otolith-based paleoecological and biogeographic reconstructions could be tracked in the literature regarding the Cenozoic marine record of the Mediterranean region (e.g., Agiadi et al, 2011Agiadi et al, , 2013Bassoli, 1906;Carnevale et al, 2006;Girone, 2000Girone, , 2003Girone, , 2005Girone, , 2007Girone et al, 2006Girone et al, , 2010Hoedemakers and Batllori, 2005;Lin et al, 2015, in press;Nolf et al, 1998;Nolf and Cappetta, 1988;Reichenbacher and Cappetta, 1999). Little is known, however, regarding the distribution of otoliths in superficial sediments of the Mediterranean Sea, which can further assist any paleoecological reconstruction in the basin since valuable information can be gained through the simple comparison of fossil assemblages with modern counterparts of known ecological niche.…”