Ocellus-bearing Neobythites species (Teleostei: Ophidiidae) from the West Atlantic with description of a new species Author Nielsen, Jørgen G. Author Uiblein, Franz Author Mincarone, Michael M. text Zootaxa 2009 2228 57 68 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.190249 ea32887f-1980-4e20-88d6-71435225ecb9 1175-5326 190249 A6B1CC49-163D-48AB-9018-4D7CA067C92C Neobythites monocellatus Nielsen 1999 ( Figs. 1 , 4–5 ) Neobythites monocellatus Nielsen 1999: 351 , fig. 8 ( type locality off Venezuela , 9°53’N , 59°53’W ). Neobythites monocellatus : Mincarone et al . 2008 : 53 , fig. 3N. Material examined. 71 specimens , SL 36–154 mm . Holotype and 69 paratypes : for catalog numbers and localities see Nielsen (1999: 351). Additional material: MOVI 39139, unripe, 97 mm SL, 13°22.057’S , 38°40.204'W – 13°19.472’S , 38°38.035’W , RV THALASSA, st. E500, bottom trawl, 360–433 m , 8 Jun. 2000 . Diagnosis. Neobythites monocellatus differs from all other Atlantic Neobythites species by having only one ocellus on the dorsal fin, placed anteriorly to the midpoint of the fish (snout to ocellus-spot 41.0–51.0 % SL) and by the following combination of characters: preopercle lacking a distinct spine on the posterior edge (rather developed as a flat, broad process), dorsal fin rays 93–99, anal fin rays 78–83, and total vertebrae 54– 58. Similarity. Judging from the number of ocelli on the dorsal fin ( Table 3 ) N. monocellatus is closest to N. gilli and N. ocellatus which both have two distinct ocelli. In meristic characters N. monocellatus is closest to N. multiocellatus and N. ocellatus . Description. Table 1 shows a comparison between the Brazilian specimen and the type material ( 70 specimens ). In spite of the large geographical separation between the type material and the new Brazilian specimen the latter falls within the variation of all characters. For comparison reasons the sagittal otolith is shown on Figure 5 . See Nielsen (1999: 351) for a detailed description. Distribution. Neobythites monocellatus is found from Honduras and along the north coast of South America to French Guiana and now also off Bahia, Brazil (13°S), an extension of ca. 3000 km ( Fig. 1 ). Caught on the continental shelf and upper slope, at depths from 117 to 439 m .