Benthocometes Goode & Bean, 1896

Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2010, Revision of the bathyal fish genus Benthocometes (Teleostei: Ophidiidae) with a new species from off NW Australia, Zootaxa 2561, pp. 59-68 : 59-60

Benthocometes Goode & Bean, 1896

Type species. Neobythites robustus Goode & Bean, 1886 by subsequent selection by Jordan & Evermann 1896: 2514. Type locality: off Moro Castle, Cuba.

Diagnosis. Body robust with a short, stubby head and terminal mouth; lateral line not reaching base of caudal fin; 4–10 predorsal pterygiophores; head and body covered with small, overlapping scales; eyes equal to or greater than length of snout; two posteriorly directed spines on opercle; one basibranchial tooth patch; vomerine tooth patch lacking lateral extensions; anterior gill arch with 3–12 long rakers; pseudobranchial filaments 5–8; pectoral fin rays 27–33; pelvic fins each with two rays. Owing to the discovery of the new species the diagnosis differs somewhat from that given by Nielsen et al. (1999:59).

Similarity. The combination of two opercular spines, few long gill rakers (3–12), many pseudobranchial filaments (6–8), 4–10 predorsal pterygiophores, a blunt snout and diameter of eye larger than or equal to length of snout makes Benthocometes a unique ophidiine genus. A DNA-based analysis has not been undertaken.

Species. Two species of Benthocometes are recognized:

B. australiensis (here described)

B. robustus ( Goode & Bean, 1886)

A third nominal species Benthocometes claudi Torre y Huerta, 1930 belongs to the bythitid genus Grammonus Gill in Goode & Bean, 1896 ( Cohen 1964:15; Nielsen et al. 1999: 103).