Neobythites malhaensis Nielsen, 1995

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 : 164-165

Neobythites malhaensis Nielsen, 1995

( Figures 1–2 , Tables 1, 3)

Neobythites malhaensis Nielsen, 1995: 6 , fig. 5a.

Holotype. ZM MGU P-18915 (male, 123 mm SL), Saya de Malha Bank , Western Indian Ocean, 11°02' S, 62°15' E, 250 m depth (probably same cruise as paratypes) .

Paratypes (n = 3; 117–135 mm SL). Saya de Malha Bank , Western Indian Ocean: ZM MGU P-18916 (female, 117 mm SL), 11°08' S, 62°16' E, RV Professor Mesiatzev, trawl 476, 235 – 239 m depth, 7 Oct 1977; ZM MGU P- 18917 (female, 132 mm SL), 11°06' S, 62°19' E, RV Professor Mesiatzev, trawl 478, 240 m depth, 7 Oct 1977; ZMUC P77840 (female, 135 mm SL), RV Fiolent, 1973 (no other data).

Diagnosis. Indistinct or flat spine on hind margin of preopercle; dorsal fin-rays 99–103; anal-fin rays 78–82; pectoral fin-rays 30; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 57–59; pseudobranchial filaments 3–4; long gill rakers on anterior arch 12–13; head length 21.0–21.5 % SL; pelvic-fin length 12.5–13.0 % SL, pelvic fins not reaching anus; orbit length 4.1–4.9 % SL, 19.5–23.0 % head length, and 2.2–2.4 times in upper-jaw length; longest gill filament 1.6–1.9 % SL and 7.5–8.9 % head length; ocellus spot placed behind a vertical line through anus, the ocellus-spot distance being 42.5–45.5 % SL, and the spot covering 13 dorsal-fin rays; dorsal and anal fins not pigmented; one vertical, dark bar on body below ocellus spot; otolith length 5.2 % SL, sulcus length 3.8 % SL, and ostium height 21.5 % sulcus length.

Distribution. Saya de Malha Bank, off SE Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean, at 235–250 m depth.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Indo-Pacific Neobythites steatiticus species group. All photographs at left side and F show preserved fishes; the remaining five photographs at right side show fresh fishes, photographed on board immediately after capture. A) Neobythites gloriae n. sp. USNM 309008, HT, 158 mm SL, inner Gulf of Oman; B) N. lombokensis, ZMUC P 77744, HT, 93 mm SL, SE off Lombok, preserved (B1) and fresh (B2; side reversed); C) N. longipes, ZMUC P77740, 98 mm SL, SE off Lombok, preserved (C1) and fresh (C2); D) N. malayanus, ZMUC P77742, 138 mm SL, SE off Lombok, preserved (D1) and fresh (D2); E) N. malhaensis, ZMUC P77840, PT, 135 mm SL, Saya de Malha bank, preserved; F) N. meteori, ZMH 5621, HT, 102 mm SL, off Sokotra, preserved; G) N. steatiticus, ZMUC P771752, 162 mm SL, off Myanmar, preserved (G1) and fresh (G2); H1) N. stefanovi, ZMUC P77841, PT, 198 mm SL, Gulf of Aden, preserved; H2) N. stefanovi, SMF 26785, 111 mm SL, Red Sea, fresh. Photographers: Oddgeir Alvheim (G2), Thomas Gloerfelt-Tarp (B2, C2, D2), Marcus Krag (A, B1, C1, D1, E, G1, H1), Ralph Thiel (F), Michael Türkay (H2). The blue bars indicate 1 cm length for the respective specimen.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of studied specimens of Neobythites, with numbers indicating multiple sampling events.