Neobythites, Goode & Bean, 1885

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 : 182

The four species groups of Neobythites (see also Table 1 )

- australiensis group: species with a single ocellus, two pre-opercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites superocellatus n. sp., N. australiensis , N. nigriventris , and N. unimaculatus .

- kenyaensis group: species with two ocelli, a central ocellus and an ocellus placed close to dorsal-fin origin, with zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Three species belong to this group: Neobythites japonicus n. sp., N. kenyaensis , and N. ocellatus .

- longiventralis group: species with one or two ocelli on dorsal fin, zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins extending beyond anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites jonathan n. sp., N. zora n. sp., N. longiventralis , and N. longipes . The latter species was moved to this group after having originally been included in the steatiticus group ( Uiblein & Nielsen 2018).

- steatiticus group: species with single ocellus, zero or one pre-opercular spine, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. This group includes nine species: Neobythites pako n. sp., N. gloriae Uiblein & Nielsen , N. lombokensis Uiblein & Nielsen , N. malayanus Weber , N. malhaensis Nielsen , N. meteori Nielsen , N. monocellatus , N. steatiticus Alcock , and N. stefanovi Nielsen & Uiblein.

Key to the four species groups

1 One or several ocelli on dorsal fin........................................................................ 2

- No ocelli on dorsal fin...... 30 non-ocellus bearing species (28 species listed in Uiblein & Nielsen 2005, plus N. machidai Ohashi, Nielsen & Yabe and N. solomonensis Uiblein & Nielsen )

2 A central ocellus with no posterior ocellus on dorsal fin or with a posterior ocellus and pelvic fins extending beyond anus.. 3

- At least one posterior ocellus and pelvic fins not extending beyond anus................. 10 ungrouped species ( Table 1 )

3 Pelvic fins not extending beyond anus.................................................................... 4

- Pelvic fins extending beyond anus................................................. longiventralis species group

4 A central ocellus and no anterior or posterior ocellus......................................................... 5

- A central ocellus and an anterior ocellus, no posterior ocellus............................... kenyaensis species group

5 2 preopercular spines............................................................. australiensis species group

- 0–1 preopercular spines............................................................. steatiticus species group