Neobythites steatiticus, : Norman, 1939

Uiblein, Franz & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2018, Review of the steatiticus - species group of the cuskeel genus Neobythites (Ophidiidae) from the Indo-Pacific, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4387 (1), pp. 157-173 : 171

Key to the Indo-Pacific Neobythites steatiticus -group species

1a Pelvic fins reach beyond anus, orbit length 31.5–41.5 % upper-jaw length...................................................................................................... Neobythites longipes (Philippines to NW Australia)

1b Pelvic fins not reaching beyond anus, orbit length 35.5–59 % upper-jaw length..................................... 2

2a Anterior gill arch with 6–7 long rakers; anal fin without dark margin or band...................................... 3

2b Anterior gill arch with 8–15 long rakers; anal fin with or without dark margin or band............................... 4

3a Ocellus short, placed above anus with ocellus spot covering 9 dorsal-fin rays; longest gill filament 13.0 % head length...................................................................... N. meteori (off Sokotra Id, NW Indian Ocean)

3b Ocellus long, placed above anterior part of anal fin with ocellus spot covering 14 dorsal-fin rays; longest gill filament 9.4 % head length............................................ N. lombokensis n. sp. (off Lombok, Eastern Indian Ocean)

4a Vertical, dark bar below ocellus spot; dorsal and anal fins without dark margin or band, head length 21.0–21.5 % SL............................................................ N. malhaensis (Saya de Malha Bank, Western Indian Ocean)

4b None to a few indistinct, vertical, dark bars on body; dorsal and/or anal fin with dark margin or band, head length 21.5–31.0 % SL................................................................................................. 5

5a Median part of anal fin dark and distal and proximal parts light; head length 28.0–31.0 % SL; longest gill filament 4.4–5.9 % SL........................................................... N. steatiticus (Bay of Bengal, NE Indian Ocean)

5b Distal part of dorsal and anal fins dark and proximal part light; head length 21.5–28.5 % SL; longest gill filament 1.3–4.9 % SL.................................................................................................... 6

6a Developed gill rakers 8–11 (mostly 9 or 10); orbit length 4.2–5.6 % SL and 37.0–45.5% upper-jaw length; precaudal vertebrae 13 (rarely 12)........................................................... N. malayanus ( Philippines, Indonesia)

6b Developed gill rakers 10–13 (mostly 11–13); orbit length 5.3–6.9 % SL and 43.5–59 % times in upper jaw length; precaudal vertebrae 12.......................................................................................... 7

7a Longest gill filaments 1.4–3.7 % SL; dorsal-fin rays in ocellus spot 8–12............................................................................................... N. stefanovi (Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, NW Indian Ocean)

7b Longest gill filaments 3.9–4.9 % SL; dorsal-fin rays in ocellus spot 6–8................................................................................... N. gloriae n. sp. (Arabian Gulf and inner Gulf of Oman, NW Indian Ocean)