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 Key to the australiensis species group 1 Central ocellus placed at 42–50% SL, its spot covering 5–11 dorsal-fin rays and 0 or exceptionally 1 vertical scal rows on body below dorsal fin, anal-fin rays 73–81, vertebrae 52–57, and developed gill rakers 8–12.............................. 2 - Central ocellus placed at 51–54% SL, its spot covering 14–18 dorsal-fin rays and 5 to 7 vertical scale rows on body below dorsal fin, anal-fin rays 85–88, vertebrae 58–60, and developed gill rakers 14–15..................... N. superocellatus 2 Abdomen with or without black-speckled pigmentation, dorsal-fin rays 90–99, pseudobranchial filaments 8–11, and dorsal-fin rays covered by central-ocellus spot 9–13.................................................................. 3 - Abdomen without black-speckled pigmentation, dorsal-fin rays 88–92, pseudobranchial filaments 4–8, and dorsal-fin rays covered by central-ocellus spot 5–11......................................................... N. australiensis 3 Abdomen with black-speckled pigmentation, pectoral-fin rays 23–26, otolith ostium height 64–69% sulcus length, and 11–15 ostium length............................................................................. N. nigriventris - Abdomen without black-speckled pigmentation, pectoral-fin rays 27–30, otolith ostium height 67–75% sulcus length and 14– 18 ostium length........................................................................ N. unimaculatus