Neobythites japonicus, Uiblein & Nielsen, 2023

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 : 188-190

Neobythites japonicus n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BF75A602-402D-4F50-B0D2-72E14E75DAFE

Figures 3–4 , Tables 1 , 3

N. australiensis: Okamoto et al. 2011

Holotype. KAUM -I. 37071, 167 mm SL, female, W Pacific, west of Okinawa Island, Japan, ca. 100 m depth, 16 May 1998.

Diagnosis. Hind margin of preopercle with two spines; dorsal-fin rays 91; anal-fin rays 75; pectoral-fin rays 26; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 52; pseudobranchial filaments 6; long rakers on anterior gill arch 11; head length 23% SL; pelvic-fin length 16% SL, fins not reaching anus; orbit length 4.1% SL and 18% HL; longest gill filament 1.6% SL and 7.1% HL; dorsal fin with two ocelli, one smaller ocellus placed close to fin origin, spot distance 29% SL and spot covers 6 dorsal-fin rays, and a larger central ocellus placed behind line through anus, spot distance 46% SL and spot covers 9 dorsal-fin rays; both ocellus spots not extending ventrally onto body; preserved specimens with two dark-brown ocellus spots; no vertical bars on body; otolith length 5.3% SL, sulcus length 4.2% SL, and ostium height 15% sulcus length and 23% ostium length.

Description. The principal meristic and morphometric characters are shown in Table 3 . Body elongate with indistinct lateral line; body and head covered by deciduous cycloid scales; origin of dorsal-fin above middle 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 distinct spines on hind margin of preopercle; opercular spine short and pointed; anterior gill arch on both sides with 5 short and 2 long rakers on upper branch, one long raker at angle, and 7–8 long and 6–7 short rakers on lower branch; longest filaments on anterior gill arch 7.1% HL; longest gill raker on anterior gill arch 13% HL.

Sagittal otolith ( Fig. 3B ). Otolith oval, pointed at posterior end, its depth 2.0 times in its length; sulcus 1.3 times in otolith length; ostium 1.5 times in sulcus length; ostium depth 6.5 times in sulcus length and 4.4 times in ostium length.

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

Axial skeleton. Precaudal vertebrae 13, all with pointed tip; anterior neural spine about half as long as second spine; neural spines on vertebrae 3–10 depressed; parapophyses developed on vertebrae 8–13, pleural ribs on vertebrae 4–13, and epipleural ribs indistinct; bases of neural spines 3–13 enlarged.

Colour. Preserved fish ( Fig. 4A ). Body and head in preserved HT mostly pale brown and mottled, lateral line pale beige, mostly indistinct, belly whitish; two distinct ocelli, one anterior and central ocellus placed behind vertical line through anus, central-ocellus spot diameter about twice orbit length, covering 9 dorsal-fin rays, not extending ventrally onto body; contrasting pale whitish-grayish ring surrounds central-ocellus spot almost entirely; anterior ocellus placed closely behind dorsal-fin origin, its spot diameter about orbit length, covering 6 dorsal-fin rays, not extending onto body below; contrasting pale ring almost completely surrounds anterior ocellus spot; dorsal fin between ocelli and posterior of central ocellus pale brown ventrally, lighter dorsally and distally towards caudal fin, anal fin rather pale along first two-thirds, then slightly pale-brown, pigmented like dorsal and caudal fins in posterior tail region; no vertical bars.

Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality.

Distribution and size. Only known from HT (167 mm SL) caught west of Okinawa, Japan, at a depth of ca. 100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Neobythites otoliths. (A) N.superocellatus n. sp., HT, MNHN 2021-0457, Solomon Sea (M. Krag). (B) N. japonicus n. sp., HT, KAUM -I. 37071, off Okinawa (from left side of head, shown side-reversed; M. Krag); (C) N. jonathan n. sp., HT, MNHN 2002-3883, Solomon Sea (C. Høegh-Guldberg); (D) N. zora n. sp., HT, ZMUC P771324, Fiji (C. Høegh-Guldberg); (E) N. pako n. sp., HT, MNHN 2006-0337, otolith number MNHN-ICOT-001969, Solomon Sea (M. Krag); (F) N. malayanus, ZMUC P77742, Lombok (C. Høegh-Guldberg); all otoliths from right side of head except for (B); with 1 mm scale bars.

FIGURE 4. Species of the kenyaensis group. (A) Neobythites japonicus n. sp., HT, KAUM I.37071, 167 mm SL, off Okinawa (H. Motomura); (B) N. kenyaensis, SAIAB 82154, 136 mm SL, off S Mozambique (O. Alvheim); (C) N. ocellatus, MOVI 39146, 147 mm SL, off E Brazil (G. Brovad); with 10 mm scale bars.