Neobythites Goode & Bean 1885
Creators: name: Uiblein, Franz
name: Nielsen, Jørgen G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Ophidiiformes
Ophidiidae
Neobythites

description: The four species groups of Neobythites (see also Table 1)
- australiensis group: species with a single ocellus, two pre-opercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites superocellatus n. sp., N. australiensis, N. nigriventris, and N. unimaculatus.
- kenyaensis group: species with two ocelli, a central ocellus and an ocellus placed close to dorsal-fin origin, with zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Three species belong to this group: Neobythites japonicus n. sp., N. kenyaensis, and N. ocellatus.
- longiventralis group: species with one or two ocelli on dorsal fin, zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins extending beyond anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites jonathan n. sp., N. zora n. sp., N. longiventralis, and N. longipes. The latter species was moved to this group after having originally been included in the steatiticus group (Uiblein & Nielsen 2018).
- steatiticus group: species with single ocellus, zero or one pre-opercular spine, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. This group includes nine species: Neobythites pako n. sp., N. gloriae Uiblein & Nielsen, N. lombokensis Uiblein & Nielsen, N. malayanus Weber, N. malhaensis Nielsen, N. meteori Nielsen, N. monocellatus, N. steatiticus Alcock, and N. stefanovi Nielsen & Uiblein.
Key to the four species groups
1 One or several ocelli on dorsal fin........................................................................ 2
- No ocelli on dorsal fin...... 30 non-ocellus bearing species (28 species listed in Uiblein & Nielsen 2005, plus N. machidai Ohashi, Nielsen & Yabe and N. solomonensis Uiblein & Nielsen)
2 A central ocellus with no posterior ocellus on dorsal fin or with a posterior ocellus and pelvic fins extending beyond anus.. 3
- At least one posterior ocellus and pelvic fins not extending beyond anus................. 10 ungrouped species (Table 1)
3 Pelvic fins not extending beyond anus.................................................................... 4
- Pelvic fins extending beyond anus................................................. longiventralis species group
4 A central ocellus and no anterior or posterior ocellus......................................................... 5
- A central ocellus and an anterior ocellus, no posterior ocellus............................... kenyaensis species group
5 2 preopercular spines............................................................. australiensis species group
- 0–1 preopercular spines............................................................. steatiticus species group
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 179-205 in Zootaxa 5336 (2) on page 182, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5336.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/8272417