Neobythites monocellatus

Common Name

One-spot Brotula

Year Described

Nielsen, 1999

Identification

Dorsal Fin: 93-99
Anal Fin: 78-83
Pelvic Fin: 2
Pectoral Fin: 24-27
Caudal Fin: 8
Gill Rakers: 13-15 (only long rakers)
Pseudobranchial Filaments: 4-6
Vertebrae: 54-58

Body elongated and eel-like. Snout blunt. Jaw extends past posterior margin of orbit. Teeth present in jaws, on palatine, and on vomer. Antherior basibranchial tooth path narrow and long. Preopercular spines number 0-1. Spine on preopercle weak and thin in small fish but absent in large specimens. Opercular spine strong. Dorsal and anal fins confluent with caudal fin. Pelvic fin reaches 2/3 of the way to the anus. Lateral line not obvious. Body scales cycloid.

Color

Body brown above, grading to whitish on the belly. There are tiny melanophores sprinkled on the ventral body and the head. Gill region, gut, lips, and area around anus darker brown. Dorsal fin usually with a single ocellus anterior to mid-body.

Size

Maximum size to 154mm SL.

Habitat

Occurs on the continental shelf and slope from 117-439m.

Range

Continental waters from Honduras to French Guinana. Also found off eastern Brazil.

References

Nielsen, J. G. 1999. A review of the genus Neobythites (Pisces, Ophidiidae) in the Atlantic, with three new species. Bulletin of Marine Science v. 64 (no. 2): 335-372.

Nielsen, J. G., F. Uiblein and M. M. Mincarone 2009. Ocellus-bearing Neobythites species (Teleostei: Ophidiidae) from the West Atlantic with decription of a new species. Zootaxa No. 2228: 57-68.