Neobythites solomonensis, Uiblein & Nielsen, 2021

Uiblein, Franz & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2021, New record of the cuskeel genus Neobythites (Pisces, Ophidiidae) from the Solomon Sea with description of a new species and notes on colour patterns, Cybium 45 (2), pp. 83-88 : 84-85

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2021-452-001
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3E6E0B6F-E657-4942-9D57-68661FB3D571
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C05C9D37-738E-4315-9924-264E24301E3F
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:C05C9D37-738E-4315-9924-264E24301E3F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Neobythites solomonensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Neobythites solomonensis n. sp. – Striped Cuskeel

( Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 ; Tab. I)

Holotype. – MNHN 2006-0322 About MNHN , female, SL 166 mm, Solomon Sea, 8°57’S, 157°48’E, Camp. Salomon 2; 2004, RV Alis, st. cp2273, 732- 839 m, beam trawl, 5 Nov. 2004. GoogleMaps

Paratypes (n = 4, SL 137-162 mm). – MNHN 2002- 3834 About MNHN , 2 specimens, SL 137-162 mm, Solomon Sea, 9°20’S, 159°56’E, Camp. Salomon 1 GoogleMaps , RV Alis, st. cp1749, 582- 594 m, beam trawl, 25 Sep. 2001 ; MNHN 2002-3891 About MNHN , SL 145 mm, Solomon Sea, 8°12’S, 160°41’E, Camp. Salomon 1 GoogleMaps , RV Alis, st. dw1775, 498- 600 m, dredge, 28 Sep. 2001 ; MNHN 2006-0725 About MNHN , female, SL 150 mm, Solomon Sea, 7°37’S, 157°45’E, Camp. Salomon 2, 2004 GoogleMaps , RV Alis, st. cp2214, 550- 682 m, beam trawl, 26 Oct. 2004 .

Diagnosis

Hind margin of preoperculum with two spines; distal part of dorsal fin and posterior two thirds of anal fin mostly dark-brown greyish pigmented; pelvic fins not reaching beyond anus; distinct lateral body stripe at eye level from behind opercle to tail region; dark-brown or grey dorsal-fin margin; anal fin dark pigmented along posterior third; ocelli and dark vertical bars absent; dorsal fin-rays 100-109; anal fin-rays 84-90; pectoral fin-rays 27-28; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 58-61; long rakers on anterior gill arch 12-14; longest filament on anterior gill arch 4.6-5.3% head length.

Description

The principal meristic and morphometric characters are shown in table I. The morphological description is mostly based on the holotype: Elongate fish with complete, brown lateral line running close to dorsal edge; head and body covered with deciduous scales; origin of dorsal fin above middle of pectoral fin; origin of anal fin slightly in front of midpoint of fish; snout blunt and equal in length to diameter of eye window; anterior nostril with a small tube and posterior nostril a mere hole; two spines on hind margin of preoperculum; opercular spine strong; anterior gill arch with two short and three long rakers on upper branch, one long raker in the angle and lower branch with ten long and seven short rakers ( paratypes with a total of 12-14 long and 7-9 short rakers); gill rakers on anterior arch 2-3 times the length of gill filaments. Pseudobranchial filaments indistinct.