Ostracodes from the Aptian–Santonian of the Santos, Campos and Espírito Santo basins, Brazil

• Taxonomic study of the ostracode faunas from the Aptian–Santonian from Santos, Campos and Espírito Santos Basins, Brazil.
• Description of six new species from Santos and Espírito Santo Basins.
• Comparison with other gondwanine ostracode assemblages.

The Lower and Upper Cretaceous deposits from the Brazilian marginal basins present a rich and diversified fauna of ostracodes in continental, marine and mixohaline paleoenvironments. While the Cretaceous ostracodes from the northeastern region have already been the subject of many taxonomic and biostratigraphical studies, data from the southeastern basins are still scarce and restricted to the record of a few species. The present study represents a comprehensive contribution to the systematic knowledge of the Aptian–Santonian ostracodes from the Brazilian southeastern marginal basins. A total of 1045 cutting samples were analyzed from 10 wells drilled offshore in Santos, Campos and Espírito Santo basins. Thirty-eight ostracode taxa were recorded from different depositional environments, including the following six new species: Amphicytherura fragilis sp. nov., Brachycythere multidifferentis sp. nov., Fossocytheridea ballentae sp. nov., Fossocytheridea elegans sp. nov., Nigeroloxoconcha itanhaensis sp. nov. and Paracypris eniotmetos sp. nov.