Neobythites jonathan n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4A563E6F-DBA2-473A-8A2C-09D002561396

Figures 3, 5, Tables 1, 4

Holotype. MNHN 2002-3883, 119 mm SL, Solomon Sea, 9°31′S, 160°35′E, Salomon 1 cruise, R / V Alis, st. CP1802, 245– 269 m, 2 Oct. 2001.

Paratype. MNHN 2023-0262, 122 mm, same collecting data as HT .

Fresh colour photo (Fig. 5B). One adult specimen (sample not retained, size not known) photographed shortly after being caught, Solomon Sea, 9°47′S, 160°53′E, Salomonboa cruise, st. CP 2854, beam trawl, 261–278 m depth, 25 Sep 2007 (see also Richer de Forges 2007).

Diagnosis. Hind margin of preopercle with two small but distinct spines; dorsal-fin rays 91–92; anal-fin rays 72–76; pectoral-fin rays 28–29; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 53; pseudobranchial filaments 5; long rakers on anterior gill arch 10; head length 24% SL; pelvic-fin length 29–32% SL, fins extending beyond anus; orbit length 5.1–5.2% SL and 21–22% HL; longest gill filament 1.7–1.8% SL and 7.1–7.8% HL; dorsal fin with central ocellus, spot distance 45–46% SL and spot covers 11–12 dorsal-fin rays, placed just behind line through anus; ocellus spot black in fresh and preserved status, not extending ventrally onto body; when fresh, four pale brown vertical bars from dorsal fin down to body or anal fin; no bars in preserved specimens; otolith length 5.4% SL, sulcus length 4.6–4.8% SL, and ostium height 15–17% sulcus length and 22–26% ostium length.

Description. The principal meristic and morphometric characters are shown in Table 4. Morphological and preserved colour description based on HT, if not indicated otherwise. Fish elongate with indistinct lateral line; body and head covered by deciduous cycloid scales; origin of dorsal-fin above anterior third of pectoral fin; origin of anal fin slightly in front of midpoint of fish; snout slightly blunt, equal in length to diameter of eye window; two small but distinct spines on hind margin of preopercle; opercular spine pointed; anterior gill arch on both sides with 5 short and 2 long rakers on upper branch, one long raker at angle, and 7 long and 5 short rakers on lower branch; longest filaments on anterior gill arch 7.8% HL; longest gill raker on anterior gill arch 12% HL.

Sagittal otolith (Fig. 3C). Otolith oval, tapering in posterior half, its depth 1.8 times in its length; sulcus 1.2 times in otolith length; ostium 1.4 times in sulcus length; ostium depth 6.5 times in sulcus length and 4.6 times in ostium length.

Dentition. Premaxillaries, palatines, and dentaries with many pointed, close-set teeth in irregular rows; vomer boomerang-shaped with many small teeth; two median basibranchial tooth patches, anterior one long and narrow and posterior one small and rounded.

Axial skeleton. Characters from both HT and PT; precaudal vertebrae 13, all with pointed tips; anterior neural spine half the length of second spine; spines on vertebrae 2–8 depressed; parapophyses on vertebrae 8–13, pleural ribs on vertebrae 2–3 to 13, and epipleural ribs not observed; bases of vertebrae 3–4 to 11–12 enlarged.

Colour. Fresh fish (Fig. 5B). Head and body with pale-beige background colour, belly pale silvery-gray; dorsal half of head and body brown marbled, four irregularly shaped, vertical brown bars reaching from below dorsal fin to lower body half, posterior two bars ending at anal fin; a black central ocellus, spot not extending onto body below dorsal fin; ocellus ring only faintly visible along ventral side of ocellus spot due to tightly folded dorsal fin, dorsal fin behind ocellus partly dark-brown pigmented, connecting in part to posterior two vertical bars; anal fin hyaline apart from brown pigmentation areas connected to two posterior bars and along posterior margin of fin; pelvic fins hyaline.

Preserved fish (Fig. 5A). Body and head mostly pale brown, dorsal third of head and body with brownish lines or stripes of various length, one incomplete stripe along lateral line; abdomen anteriorly whitish, mingled with dark-gray patches which widen posteriorly; distinct central ocellus placed just behind vertical line through anus, dark-brown ocellus spot more than twice orbit length, covering 11 dorsal-fin rays and contrasting pale-whitish ring surrounding ocellus spot entirely, spot not extending onto body below dorsal fin; dorsal fin anterior and posterior of spot with weak pale gray pigmentation, becoming lighter posteriorly; anal, pelvic and caudal fin hyaline.

Etymology. The new species name “ jonathan ” is used as a noun in apposition and acknowledges Mr. Jonathan Pfliger, MNHN fish collection manager, for his invaluable assistance in our fish taxonomy research.

Distribution and size. W Pacific, Solomon Sea, at 245–269 m depth. At least up to 122 mm SL.