Neobythites longipes Smith & Radcliffe, 1913

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 : 196

Neobythites longipes Smith & Radcliffe, 1913

Figure 5 , Tables 1 , 4

Neobythites longipes Smith & Radcliffe in Radcliffe, 1913: 139, pl. 7 (fig. 1) (off Jolo Island , 06°02′00″N, 120°44′40″E, Philippines, 258 fathoms; holotype: USNM 74126 ).

Diagnosis. Hind margin of preopercle with single spine; dorsal-fin rays 96–103; anal-fin rays 79–87; pectoral-fin rays 27–30; precaudal vertebrae 13–14; total vertebrae 57–60; pseudobranchial filaments 5–10; long rakers on anterior gill arch 8–10; head length 22–25% SL; pelvic-fin length 28–54% SL, fins reaching well beyond anus; orbit length 3.9–5.0% SL and 17–22% HL; longest gill filament 1.3–2.7% SL and 5.7–11% HL; dorsal fin with a central ocellus, placed behind vertical line through anus, the spot distance being 42–53% SL and the spot covering 9–13 dorsal-fin rays; ocellus spot not extending ventrally to body; no vertical bars on body in preserved and fresh specimens (see also Uiblein & Nielsen 2018); otolith length 4.8–6.2% SL, sulcus length 4.3–4.9% SL, and ostium height 12–15% sulcus length and 20–21% ostium length.

Distribution and size. W Pacific, off Philippines to Western Australia, at 150–481 m depth. Known up to 301 mm SL.

Comparisons. Neobythites jonathan n. sp. differs from N. zora in having only a single ocellus vs. two ocelli, longer upper jaw and gill filaments, smaller eyes, shorter pelvic fins; it differs from N. longiventralis in having only a single ocellus vs. two ocelli, a smaller central-ocellus spot and more pectoral-fin rays; and, together with N. zora n. sp., it differs from N. longipes in having fewer dorsal-fin rays, anal-fin rays, and total vertebrae.

Neobythites zora n. sp. differs from the three other species in having a posterior ocellus vs. none; it differs from N. longiventralis in having a larger central-ocellus spot and from both N. longiventralis and N. longipes in having a larger orbit length in % SL.

Neobythites longiventralis differs from the other three species in having an anterior ocellus vs. none; it differs from N. longipes in having fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays, fewer vertebrae, and a slightly smaller central-ocellus spot.

Remarks. Neobythites longipes was placed in the steatiticus species group by Uiblein & Nielsen (2018), but is now included in the newly established longiventralis group.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Species of the longiventralis group. (A) Neobythites jonathan n. sp., HT MNHN 2002-3883, 119 mm SL, Solomon Sea (M. Krag); (B) N. jonathan n. sp., photographed shortly after being caught by beam-trawl, Solomon Sea (Salomonboa cruise participants; see also Richer de Forges 2007); (C) N. zora n. sp., HT, ZMUC P771324, Fiji (side-reversed; H. Carl); (D) N. longiventralis, MNHN HT 1994-0739, off New Caledonia (M. Krag); (E) N. longipes, ZMUC P77740, 98 mm SL, off Lombok (M. Krag); with 10 mm scale bars.