Strontium isotope record of the Hygophum hygomii otoliths from the European middle Miocene

⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values from otoliths of the worldwide-distributed fish Hygophum hygomii are used for the purpose of isotope chemostratigraphy. In order to evaluate the potential of H. hygomii otoliths for strontium (Sr) isotopic studies, we first compare the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of current representatives of the species with that of modern sea water. Then, three fossil otoliths of H. hygomii collected in middle Miocene sediments of the Aquitaine Basin (Lafaurie locality, SW France) and the Carpathian Foredeep of the Central Paratethys (Brno-Kralovo Pole locality, SE Czech Republic) are analysed. The age inferred from the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio at Lafaurie places the two analysed otoliths within the time interval of 15.5–15.1 Ma. This time interval matches the published early Langhian age obtained from the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of bivalves measured at the same locality. At the Brno-Kralovo Pole, the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the analysed otolith returns a wider timespan of 14.78–13.10 Ma, falling into an interval of poor time resolution of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr chemostratigraphy. Comparisons with published biostratigraphic and paleoclimatic data suggest that the analysed fossil otoliths of H. hygomii were mineralized during the late part of the Langhian, at ∼14.2 Ma. This work represents a first attempt to use otoliths for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr chemostratigraphy, and indicates that such a use may represent a powerful tool for testing stratigraphic correlations in the future.