Neobythites australiensis Nielsen, 2002

Uiblein, Franz & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2023, Five new ocellus-bearing species of the cusk-eel genus Neobythites (Ophidiidae, Ophidiiformes) from the West Pacific, with establishment of three new species groups, Zootaxa 5336 (2), pp. 179-205 : 187

Neobythites australiensis Nielsen, 2002

Figure 1 , Tables 1 , 2

Neobythites australiensis Nielsen, 2002: 20 , fig. 10 ( Southwest of Rowley Shoals , 18°4.6′S, 118°22′E, Western Australia, 327– 328 m; holotype: WAM P.28107-001).

Diagnosis. Hind margin of preopercle with two spines; dorsal-fin rays 88–92; anal-fin rays 73–77; pectoral-fin rays 26–27; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 53–54; pseudobranchial filaments 8–11; long rakers on anterior gill arch 9–10; head length 23–25% SL; pelvic-fin length 14–19% SL, fins not reaching anus; orbit length 4.2–4.7% SL and 17–19% HL; longest gill filament 1.6–1.8% SL and 6.7–7.4% HL; dorsal fin with large ocellus placed slightly behind line through anus, spot distance 44–49% SL and spot covers 9–13 dorsal-fin rays, not extending ventrally onto body; preserved specimens with dark-brown ocellus spot; no vertical bars on body; otolith length 5.8–5.9% SL, sulcus length 4.7–4.8% SL, and ostium height 13–14% sulcus length and 19–20% ostium length.

Distribution and size. SE Indian Ocean, off NW Australia at 42–350 m depth. Known up to 245 mm SL.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Species of the australiensis group. (A) Neobythites superocellatus n. sp., HT, MNHN 2021-0457, 95 mm SL, Solomon Sea (M. Krag); (B) N. australiensis, PT, ZMUC P771325, 188 mm SL, W Australia (side-reversed; M. Krag); (C) N. nigriventris, HT, CSIRO H 2310-03 (side-reversed; H. O’Neill); (D) N. unimaculatus, MNHN 2005-3413, 130 mm SL, Coral Sea (M. Krag); with 10 mm scale bars.