Neobythites multiocellatus, Nielsen, Jørgen G., Uiblein, Franz & Mincarone, Michael M., 2009

Nielsen, Jørgen G., Uiblein, Franz & Mincarone, Michael M., 2009, Ocellus-bearing Neobythites species (Teleostei: Ophidiidae) from the West Atlantic with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2228, pp. 57-68 : 66-68

Neobythites multiocellatus n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 8–9 )

Neobythites ocellatus (in part): Nielsen 1999: 346 (all 308 specimens from the Caribbean Sea and further north).

Holotype. ZMUC P771207, Ƥ, 124 mm SL, off Caribbean Panama, 09°04’N, 81°25’W, R/V OREGON, st. 3597, bottom trawl, 282–301 m, 31 May 1962.

Paratypes. 58 specimens, SL 68–143 mm. UF 207003, 1(134 mm), off Puerto Rico, 17°47’N, 66°04’W, RV OREGON, st. ORE2639, bottom trawl, 412–439 m, 4 Oct. 1959. UF 207002, 1(100 mm), off Virgin Islands, 18°13’N, 64°14’30’’ W, RV OREGON, st. ORE2649, bottom trawl, 229 m, 6 Oct. 1959. USNM 309245, 6(111–143 mm), off Puerto Rico, 18°26’N, 67°11’30”W, RV OREGON, st. 2658, bottom trawl, 320 m, 7 Oct. 1959. USNM 326145, 1(143 mm), 16°40’N, 82°51’36”W, RV EXPLORER, st. 1C, dredge, 366– 770 m, 11 Mar. 1960. MOVI 43253, 1(74 mm), and ZMUC P77534, 1(110 mm), off Bahamas, 24°25’N, 79°13’W, RV SILVER BAY, st. 2470, bottom trawl, 235 m, 7 Dec. 1960. UF 211051, 9(79–117 mm), off Caribbean Panama, 9°02’N, 81°00’W, RV OREGON, st. 3595, bottom trawl, 183 m, 30 May 1962. USNM 340921, 5(103–126 mm), and ZMUC P771206, 1208-1209, 3(98–105 mm), same data as for holotype. USNM 340916, 1(139 mm), off Belize, 17°17’N, 87°59’W, RV OREGON, st. 3636, bottom trawl, 229 m, 10 Jun. 1962. UF 213150, 1(96 mm), off Atlantic Florida, 27°10’N, 79°55’W, RV GERDA, st. GRD174, bottom trawl, 318–351 m, 30 Jun. 1963. MOVI 43254, 1(110 mm), UF 233938, 1(124 mm), and ZMUC P771280- 1282, 3(102–140 mm), off Dominican Republic, 19°48’30”N, 70°30’30”W, RV SILVER BAY, st. 5166, bottom trawl, 403–549 m, 15 Oct. 1963. UF 229534, 10(97–139 mm), off Belize, 17°28’30”N, 87°57’30”W, RV OREGON, st. ORE6404, bottom trawl, 275–329 m, 23 Jan. 1967. UF 230466, 5(68–112 mm), off Jamaica, 17°55’42”N, 78°00’W, RV PILLSBURY, st. 1232, bottom trawl, 384–485 m, 7 Jul. 1970. UF 229247, 8(92–118 mm), off Caribbean Nicaragua, 14°53’54”N, 81°23’12”W, RV PILLSBURY, st. 1356, bottom trawl, 542–686 m, 31 Jan. 1971.

Non-types. 21 specimens, SL 50–148 mm. USNM 309245, 1(100 mm), off Puerto Rico, 18°26’N, 67°11’30”W, RV OREGON, st. 2658, bottom trawl, 320 m, 7 Oct. 1959. UF 15651, 1(99 mm), off Bahamas, 23°34’30”N, 79°07’W, RV SILVER BAY, st. SB2457, bottom trawl, 458 m, 5 Nov. 1960. UF 211636, 6(93– 120 mm), off Bahamas, 23°52’N, 79°11’W, RV SILVER BAY, st. SB2468, bottom trawl, 366–384 m, 6 Nov. 1960. ZMUC P77535, 1(88 mm), off Bahamas, 24°25’N, 79°13’W, RV SILVER BAY, st. 2470, bottom trawl, 235 m, 7 Dec. 1960. UF 210884, 1(148 mm), off Cuba, 23°05'N, 78°49’W, RV SILVER BAY, st. SB3512, bottom trawl, 412–458 m, 7 Nov. 1961. UF 211051, 1(114 mm), off Caribbean Panama, 902’N, 8100'W, RV OREGON, st. ORE3595, bottom trawl, 183 m, 30 May 1962. USNM 340921, 2(113–115 mm), same data as for holotype. UF 217691, 1(58 mm), off Bimini, 25°23’N, 79°17’W, RV GERDA, st. GRD276, bottom trawl, 602 m, 31 Mar. 1963. UF 227376, 1(50 mm), off Atlantic Florida, 25°27’30”N, 79°20’W, RV GERDA, st. GDR 274, bottom trawl, 571–637 m, 30 Mar. 1964. UF 230445, 1(122 mm), off Caribbean Venezuela, 10°42’30”N, 66°21’W, RV PILLSBURY, st. PIL738, bottom trawl, 137–192 m, 22 Jul. 1968. UF 229247, 5(100–121 mm), off Caribbean Nicaragua, 14°53’54”N, 81°23’12”W, RV PILLSBURY, st. PIL1356, bottom trawl, 542–686 m, 31 Jan. 1971. Non-types include specimens so bleached that only rests of the central and 1st posterior ocellus remain. The presence of rests of two ocelli leaves out N. monocellatus and the number of rays in dorsal and anal fins and the vertebral count excludes N. gilli .

Material. The material borrowed from UF and USNM was selected so that it covers a wide array of localities. All the 80 specimens here examined are represented among the 308 non-type specimens examined by Nielsen (1999: 346). However, due to the fact that no difference was made between ocelli and spots, none of the data from the 1999-paper are re-used. On the other hand we consider all of the 308 ocellatus specimens as referable to N. multiocellatus .

Diagnosis. Neobythites multiocellatus differs from the other eight West Atlantic Neobythites species by having 3 (rarely 4) ocelli on the dorsal fin, the anterior of which is placed somewhat behind a line through the origin of the anal fin, and by the following combination of characters: 0–1(weak) spine on hind margin of preopercle, total number of vertebrae 54–59, dorsal fin rays 94–101, anal fin rays 79–90.

Similarity. The meristic and morphometric characters of N. multiocellatus , N. ocellatus and N. monocellatus are much overlapping while they all differ from N. gilli by having fewer rays in the dorsal, anal and pectoral fin, and fewer vertebrae. Table 3 shows the difference between the three species in the ocelluspattern on the dorsal fin.

Description. The principal meristic and morphometric characters are given in Tables 2–4. Holotype (differences from paratypes are in parentheses and appear from Table 2): Elongate fish with an indistinct lateral line. Head and body covered by small, overlapping, oval, cycloid scales. Dorsal fin origin above base of pectoral fin, anal fin origin well in front of midpoint of fish, pelvic fin reaches to or almost to anus. Snout blunt equal to length of eye window. Maxilla ends well behind eye. Teeth small and granular in jaws and somewhat larger in palatines and vomer. Anterior basibranchial tooth patch long and narrow and posterior small and round. Anterior nostril with a small tube and the larger posterior with a low rim. Hind margin of preopercle with a broad, weak spine (0–1 weak). Opercular spine strong and straight. Anterior gill arch with two (1–3) small knobs and four long rakers on upper branch, one long raker in the angle, and lower branch with 11 long rakers (total long rakers 13–16) and five (4–7) small knobs.

Sagittal otolith ( Fig. 9 ): The oval sagitta is moderately compressed, 1.6 times longer than high. The anterior tip is rounded and the posterior more pointed. The divided sulcus is 0.7 the length of the sagitta, with the ostium about twice the length of the cauda. An ostial channel is indicated. The sagitta is very similar to that of N. gilli , N. ocellatus and N. monocellatus .

Axial skeleton (from radiographs): Tips of all neural and haemal spines thin and pointed. Anterior neural spine half the length of second spine.Vertebrae 3–8 with depressed neural spines slightly shorter than second spine. Base of neural spines 3–10 enlarged. Parapophyses developed on posterior six precaudal vertebrae. Pleural ribs present on posterior 3–12 precaudal vertebrae and on epipleural ribs 3–10.

Coloration: After 47 years of preservation the body and head are light brownish, eyes and peritoneum bluish, oral and branchial cavities dark brown and area around anus black. The dorsal fin is provided with a small black spot covering 2 (1–4) rays near its origin, a central ocellus, the ocellus-spot covering 7 (5–9) rays near the midpoint of the fish, a first posterior ocellus, the ocellus-spot covering 6 (4–8) rays, a second posterior ocellus, the ocellus-spot covering 6 (3–7) rays, a third posterior ocellus, ocellus-spot covering 6 (3– 6) rays and most posterior a black spot covering 4 rays. Four of the 58 paratypes have 1–4 dark spots on the anal fin.

Distribution. Neobythites multiocellatus is recorded from most of the Caribbean Sea northwards to off the Atlantic coast of Florida. The depth range is 102– 770 m. Figure 1 shows the 69 localities mentioned by Nielsen (1999).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the high number of ocelli (>2) on the dorsal fin.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Records of ocellus-bearing Neobythites species in the West Atlantic. The numbers indicate the number of neighbouring stations.

FIGURE 8. Neobythites multiocellatus, holotype, 124 mm SL, ZMUC P 771207.

FIGURE 9. Neobythites multiocellatus, holotype, 124 mm SL, ZMUC P 771207. Right sagitta: A—Median view, B— Dorsal view.