Parasaccogaster, Nielsen, Jørgen G., Schwarzhans, Werner & Cohen, Daniel M., 2012

Nielsen, Jørgen G., Schwarzhans, Werner & Cohen, Daniel M., 2012, Revision of Hastatobythites and Saccogaster (Teleostei, Bythitidae) with three new species and a new genus, Zootaxa 3579, pp. 1-36 : 26

Parasaccogaster n.gen.

Type species: Saccogaster normae Cohen & Nielsen, 1972

Diagnosis. A genus of the subfamily Bythitinae ( Cohen & Nielsen 1978) characterized by the following combination of characters: Scales absent on head and body, head skin thick and loose; eyes sunk-in below transparent skin-window; gill opening at level of or below dorsal margin of pectoral peduncle; head width 7.7–12.0 % SL, maxilla vertically expanded posteriorly; a median or a pair of small bony spines on frontals covered by skin above and behind eyes; palatine teeth present; developed gill rakers on anterior arch 2–3, pseudobranchial filaments 2; males with stalked intromittent organ; vertical fins joined, anal fin origin behind midpoint of fish, pectoral fin radials slightly longer than high, peduncle adnate to body; pectoral fin rays 12–19; precaudal vertebrae 14–20.

Similarity. The most similar genera are Hastatobythites and Saccogaster . Parasaccogaster differs from both genera by having thick skin with sunk-in eyes, pectoral peduncle adnate to body and gill opening ending at level with or below dorsal margin of pectoral peduncle.

Etymology. Parasaccogaster refers to the similarity to Saccogaster .