Neobythites unicolor Nielsen and Retzer, 1994

Uiblein, Franz, Nielsen, Jørgen G., Baldwin, Carole C., Quattrini, Andrea M. & Robertson, Ross, 2019, Discovery of a Distinctive Spotted Color Pattern in the Cuskeel Neobythites unicolor (Teleostei, Ophidiidae) Based on Underwater-Vehicle Dives, with New Records from the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, Copeia 107 (2), pp. 277-286 : 278-279

Neobythites unicolor Nielsen and Retzer, 1994

Figures 1–5 , Tables 1, 2

Neobythites unicolor Nielsen and Retzer, 1994: 993 , fig. 2a; Nielsen, 1999: 354–358, figs. 11–13.

Holotype.— FMNH 69349 , 90 mm SL, female, East Caribbean Sea , 17838.5 0 N, 63827 0 W, RV Oregon, Sta. 2633, bottom trawl, 348 m depth, 30 September 1959.

Paratypes.— (n ¼ 8, 58–104 mm SL) FMNH 69348, 103 mm, female, East Caribbean Sea , 1883 0 N, 67827 0 W , RV Oregon, Sta. 2643, bottom trawl, 275–330 m depth, 5 October 1959 ; FMNH 69352 , 82 mm SL, female , ZMUC P 77940, 104 m SL, male, West Caribbean Sea, RV Oregon, Sta. 1868, bottom trawl, 320 m depth, 21 August 1957 ; FMNH 69354, 100 mm SL, female, East Caribbean Sea , 18812 0 N, 67818 0 W , RV Oregon, Sta. 2648, bottom trawl, 275 m depth, 6 October 1959 ; TCWC 4469.3 , 58–89 mm SL, 2 females, West Caribbean Sea , 20820.5 0 N, 89819.4 0 W , MBI, Sta. 168, 10 0 otter trawl, 240–267

video footage.

m, 11 April 1976; TCWC 6207.2 , 93 mm SL, female, 100 mm SL, Western Caribbean Sea , 20826.3 0 N, 87814.7 0 W, MBI, Sta. 167, otter trawl, 253–276 m depth , 11 April 1976.

Non-type material.— (n ¼ 19, 49–103 mm SL) MCZ 39257 , 88 mm SL, female, off Cuba, 22813 0 N, 81810.5 0 W , RV Atlantis, Sta. 3319, 357– 393 m depth, 4 April 1938 ; MCZ 39327 , 93 mm SL, male, off Cuba, 22849 0 N, 78848 0 W , RV Atlantis, Sta. 3412, 430 m depth, 29 April 1938 ; MCZ 39396 , 75 mm SL, male, off Cuba, 22848 0 N, 7989 0 W , RV Atlantis, Sta. 3422, 430 m depth, 30 April 1938 ; MCZ 41866 , 72 mm SL, female, Gulf of Mexico , 2588 0 N, 84819 0 W , RV Oregon , Sta. 1026, 298 m depth, 19 April 1938 ; UF 202019 , 93 mm SL, male , ZMUC P771190 , 81 mm SL, female, off Cuba, 22855 0 N, 79816 0 W , RV Oregon , Sta. 1341, 439 m depth, 16 July 1955 ; UF 214148 , 94 mm SL, female, 49 mm SL, male , ZMUC P771191 , 84 mm SL, female, off Grand Bahama Is. , 27825 0 N, 78841 0 W , RV Gerda, Sta. 251, 306– 311 m depth, 5 February 1964 ; UF 230529 , 78– 103 mm SL, 1 female, 3 males , ZMUC P771189 , 85 mm SL, female, Turks Is. Passage , 20853.1 0 N, 71836 0 W , RV Pillsbury , Sta. 1425, 737– 787 m, 19 July 1971 ; USNM 309225 , 73–99 mm SL, 1 female, 4 males, off Saba , 17838.5 0 N, 63827 0 W , RV Oregon , Sta. 2633, 40 0 flat trawl, 348 m depth, 30 September 1959 .

Submersible-collected specimens for this study.— (n ¼ 5, 38–94 mm SL) USNM 422668 , 93 mm SL, off Curaçao, near aquarium, 12804 0 59 00 N, 68853 0 57 00 W, Curasub dive 13 nn (no dive and depth data), A. Schrier and B. Brandt, 2013 ; USNM 431331 , 94 mm SL, female, same locality as above, Curasub dive 14-01, 305 m depth, C. C. Baldwin, D . R. Robertson , and B. Brandt, 17 March 2014 ; USNM 431721 , 69 mm SL, off Curaçao, near Jan Thiel Bay , 12804 0 59 00 N, 68853 0 57 00 W, Curasub dive 14-15, 305 m depth, C. C. Baldwin, A. Schrier, and B. Brandt, 19 September 2014 ; USNM 433497 , 38 mm SL, off Curaçao, near aquarium, 12804 0 59 00 N, 68853 0 56 00 W, Curasub dive 14-25, 269 m depth, found living inside a beer bottle, C. C. Baldwin, B. van Bebber, and C. Castillo, 9 December 2014 ; USNM 440570 , 65 mm SL, off western coast of Dominica, 15834 0 23 00 N, 61828 0 28 00 W, Curasub dive 16-29, 289 m depth, A. Schrier and B. Brandt, 29 March 2016 .

Figures

FIG. 1. Distribution of Neobythites unicolor. Localities of specimens encountered and collected by the Curasub submersible are indicated by squares; triangles indicate the two ROV stations with verified images of this species; circles indicate all localities of specimens studied by Nielsen (1999), slightly updated (see text). Enlarged symbols with numbers indicate multiple, closely overlapping localities.

FIG. 2. Neobythites unicolor from off Curaçao (A–K) and from more northern (158N) areas (L–N). (A–D, in red frame) USNM 432331, 94 mm SL; (A) in situ photograph, inside a grass-mat trap; (B, C) shortly after capture above two different backgrounds; (D) after preservation; (E–H, in blue frame) USNM 431721, 69 mm SL; (E) in situ photograph; (F, G) shortly after capture above two different backgrounds; (H) after preservation; (I–K, in green frame) USNM 433497, 38 mm SL; (I, J) shortly after capture above two different backgrounds; (K) after preservation; (L–M, in yellow frame) USNM 440570, 65 mm SL, from off Dominica; (L) shortly after capture; (M) after freezing and preservation; (N) ZMUC P77940, paratype, 104 mm SL, from NW Caribbean. Sources: (A, E) Carole Baldwin and Ross Robertson, courtesy of substation Curaçao; (B, C, F, G, I, J) Carole Baldwin and Ross Robertson; (D, H, K, M, N) Marcus Krag, ZMUC; (L) Chris Richards, Curaçao Sea Aquarium.

FIG. 3. Neobythites unicolor encountered during ROV dives (unvouchered photographs). (A, B) USNM 444965, ca. 10 cm SL, off Virgin Islands, Anegada Passage, Noroit Seamount (Ocean Exploration Trust and U.S. Geological Survey); (C) USNM 444964, ca. 8 cm SL, off Puerto Rico, Mona Passage, Pichincho plateau. (NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program).

FIG. 4. Number of pectoral-fin rays, length of longest gill filament, and otolith sulcus length against SL in Neobythites unicolor.

FIG. 5. Neobythites unicolor, USNM 422668, 93 mm SL, from off Curaçao; (A) after several months of freezing and subsequent defrosting (Carole Baldwin and Ross Robertson; mirror image); (B) after 508 days preservation (Marcus Krag).