Five new ocellus-bearing species of the cusk-eel genus Neobythites (Ophidiidae, Ophidiiformes) from the West Pacific, with establishment of three new species groups Author Uiblein, Franz Institute of Marine Research, P. O. Box 1870 Nordnes, N- 5817 Bergen, Norway. Corresponding author; & National Research Foundation - South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda / Grahamstown, South Africa & Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Hanoi, Vietnam Author Nielsen, Jørgen G. Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark text Zootaxa 2023 2023-08-22 5336 2 179 205 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5336.2.2 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5336.2.2 1175-5326 8272417 7BD6357E-BB67-44E9-B028-4CA7A2769660 The four species groups of Neobythites (see also Table 1 ) - australiensis group: species with a single ocellus, two pre-opercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites superocellatus n. sp. , N. australiensis , N. nigriventris , and N. unimaculatus . - kenyaensis group: species with two ocelli, a central ocellus and an ocellus placed close to dorsal-fin origin, with zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. Three species belong to this group: Neobythites japonicus n. sp. , N. kenyaensis , and N. ocellatus . - longiventralis group: species with one or two ocelli on dorsal fin, zero, one, or two preopercular spines, and pelvic fins extending beyond anus. Four species belong to this group: Neobythites jonathan n. sp. , N. zora n. sp. , N. longiventralis , and N. longipes . The latter species was moved to this group after having originally been included in the steatiticus group ( Uiblein & Nielsen 2018 ). - steatiticus group: species with single ocellus, zero or one pre-opercular spine, and pelvic fins not reaching anus. This group includes nine species: Neobythites pako n. sp. , N. gloriae Uiblein & Nielsen , N. lombokensis Uiblein & Nielsen , N. malayanus Weber , N. malhaensis Nielsen , N. meteori Nielsen , N. monocellatus , N. steatiticus Alcock , and N. stefanovi Nielsen & Uiblein. Key to the four species groups 1 One or several ocelli on dorsal fin........................................................................ 2 - No ocelli on dorsal fin...... 30 non-ocellus bearing species (28 species listed in Uiblein & Nielsen 2005 , plus N. machidai Ohashi, Nielsen & Yabe and N. solomonensis Uiblein & Nielsen ) 2 A central ocellus with no posterior ocellus on dorsal fin or with a posterior ocellus and pelvic fins extending beyond anus.. 3 - At least one posterior ocellus and pelvic fins not extending beyond anus................. 10 ungrouped species ( Table 1 ) 3 Pelvic fins not extending beyond anus.................................................................... 4 - Pelvic fins extending beyond anus................................................. longiventralis species group 4 A central ocellus and no anterior or posterior ocellus......................................................... 5 - A central ocellus and an anterior ocellus, no posterior ocellus............................... kenyaensis species group 5 2 preopercular spines............................................................. australiensis species group - 0–1 preopercular spines............................................................. steatiticus species group