Neobythites gilli
Twospot Brotula
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Ophidiiformes (Pearlfishes and others)
Ophidiidae (Cusk-Eels)
Neobythites
Neobythites gilli (Twospot Brotula)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Relatively elongate, compressed, and tapering posteriorly, with a long, flat spine on operculum and a small hidden spine at lower angle of preoperculum. Snout is rounded and blunt and slightly overhangs jaws. Mouth is slightly oblique, terminal, and large; upper jaw extends beyond posterior margin of orbit. Eye is of moderate size. Villiform teeth occur in jaws, vomer, and palatine. Vomerine tooth patch is inverted-V-shaped. First gill arch has 11 gill rakers and 3 rudiments on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 8. Head is 19.1% to 21.9%, snout length is 4.8% to 5.4%, eye diameter is 4% to 4.5%, predorsal length is 24.5% to 25.2%, preanal length is 40.1% to 41.7%, body depth is 19.2% to 19.5%, and pelvic fin length is 16.9% to 19.8% of SL. Pectoral fin is of moderate size. Dorsal fin originates slightly posterior to pectoral fin base. Pelvic fins are located close together under preopercula, and each consists of 2 filamentous rays. Head and body are covered with small deciduous scales. Scale rows between dorsal fin base and lateral line number seven.
Color is light yellow, slightly darker dorsally than ventrally, and with series of irregular brown blotches above lateral line and two large dark blotches extending from dorsum to dorsal fin. First dorsal fin blotch is posterior to level of anus, and second is at midlength of tail.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Between 97 and 640 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 150 mm TL
Common species (Ref. 34024) found to feed on crustaceans (Ref. 32505). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Two additional and very similar species occur in the Caribbean Sea and may be confused with this species
References
Goode and Bean 1896
Hoese and Moore 1977
Uyeno et al. 1983
Boschung 1992
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Nielsen, J.G. (1999) A review of the genus Neobythites (Pisces, Ophidiidae) in the Atlantic, with three new species. Bull. Mar. Sci. 64(2):335-372.
Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle and C.R. Robins (1999) Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(18):178p. Rome: FAO.
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