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 Neobythites nigriventris Nielsen, 2002 Figure 1 , Tables 1 , 2 Neobythites nigriventris Nielsen, 2002: 66 , fig. 57 ( Marion Plateau , Queensland , 22°53.3′S , 152°59.3′E , Australia , 325–338 m ; holotype : CSIRO H 2310-03 ). Diagnosis. Hind margin of preopercle with two spines; dorsal-fin rays 90–95; anal-fin rays 74–79; pectoral-fin rays 23–26; precaudal vertebrae 12–13; total vertebrae 52–56; pseudobranchial filaments 5–8; long rakers on anterior gill arch 9–12; head length 21–24% SL; pelvic-fin length 16–24% SL, fins not reaching beyond anus; orbit length 4.0–5.5% SL and 17–25% HL; longest gill filament 1.4–1.9% SL and 6.4–8.7% HL; dorsal fin with large ocellus placed slightly behind line through anus, the spot distance 42–47% SL and spot covers 9–11 dorsal-fin rays, not extending ventrally onto body; preserved specimens with black ocellus spot; no vertical bars on body; otolith length 5.3–6.3% SL, sulcus length 4.5–5.3% SL, and ostium height 11–15% sulcus length and 17–23% ostium length. Distribution and size. SW Pacific, off Queensland and New South Wales at 67–357 m depth. Known up to 238 mm SL.