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143
The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 2011 27: x–x
A new genus and species of Bythitidae (Teleostei: Ophidiiformes) from
northwestern Australia
JØRGEN G. NIELSEN1 and WERNER SCHWARZHANS2
1Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø,
DENMARK
jgnielsen@snm.ku.dk
2Ahrensburger Weg 103 D, 22359 Hamburg, GERMANY
wwschwarz@aol.com
ABSTRACT
A new genus and species of bathyal bythitid sh (Teleostei: Ophidiiformes) is described based on a single specimen
caught at a depth of 392 m in the Timor Sea off the coast of northwestern Australia. Timorichthys disjunctus gen. nov.,
sp. nov. differs from all other bythitid genera by the position of the anus midway between the tip of the snout and
origin of the anal n. The joined vertical ns and the type of intromittant organ furthermore place the new genus in
the subfamily Bythitinae.
Keywords: Bythitidae, Timorichthys disjunctus gen. nov., sp. nov., viviparous brotula, taxonomy, northwestern Australia.
INTRODUCTION
The intensive bottom trawling off northwestern Australia
by the Research Vessel Southern Surveyor in 2007 revealed
a number of new and rare ophidiiform shes (Nielsen 2010,
2011). The present paper deals with one 39 mm SL adult
male trawled at a depth of 392 m. At rst it did not seem
similar to any family known from the area. However, the
ratio of the number of dorsal and anal pterygiophores to
the number of adjacent vertebrae being more than one,
the joined vertical ns, the single pelvic n ray and the
presence of a copulatory organ being an integrated part of
the eshy genital hood with the penis present as a small soft
papilla without pseudoclaspers place the specimen in the
subfamily Bythitinae of the viviparous family Bythitidae,
order Ophidiiformes (Nielsen et al. 1999).
The specimen is distinctly different from any of the 15
genera presently referred to the Bythitinae rst and foremost
by the position of the anus midway between the snout and
the anal n origin, but also by the non-tapering body, the
opercular spine being covered by skin and the head pore
pattern. Consequently, a new genus and species are here
described for it.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The specimen is curated in Museum Victoria (NMV),
according to the standards for museum collections
Fricke & Eschmeyer (2011). Ichthyological terminology,
measurements and counts follow Nielsen et al. (1999);
the terminology of the head pores and otoliths follows
Schwarzhans et al. (2005).
SYSTEMATICS
Timorichthys gen. nov.
Type species, here designated, Timorichthys disjunctus
sp. nov. Gender masculine.
Diagnosis. Differing from all other bythitid genera by
position of anus halfway between tip of snout and origin
of anal n. Body non-tapering and compressed. Head short
with blunt snout. Scales and lateral line absent. Vertical
ns joined. Pectoral radials not prolonged. Mouth oblique,
ending well behind eye. Weak opercular spine covered by
skin. Anterior nostril close to upper lip, ending in distinct
tube. Palatines with few, small teeth. Few, large head pores:
3 anterior infraorbital pores, a pair of anterior mandibular
pores at lower jaw symphysis and 1 posterior mandibular
pore behind termination of maxilla. Otolith with small,
undivided, centrally placed sulcus. Rays in dorsal n 74,
anal n 46, pectoral n 11 or 12. Vertebrae 16+36. Anterior
gill arch with 6 long rakers.
Remarks. The combination of the position of the anus,
the hidden opercular spine, the head pores, and the form of
the body is so unique that Timorichthys does not resemble
any other bythitid genus.
Etymology. The generic name refers to the Timor Sea,
from which the holotype originated.
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J. G. Nielsen and W. Schwarzhans
Timorichthys disjunctus sp. nov.
(Figs 1–3)
Material examined. Holotype – NMV A29734-002,
39 mm SL, male, eastern Indian Ocean, Timor Sea, off
northwestern Australia, approx. 78 km south of Cartier
Island, Kulumburu L29 transect, 13°13’29’’S, 123°23’44’’E
to 13°13’20’’S, 123°23’17’’E, R.V. Southern Surveyor,
Sherman sled, 392 m, 5 July 2007.
Diagnosis. See generic diagnosis above.
Description (Figs 1–3).
Meristic characters. Rays in dorsal n 74, caudal n 11-
12, anal n 46, pectoral n 11 or 12, pelvic n 1.Vertebrae
16+36= 52. Pseudobranchial laments 2. Anterior gill arch
with 6 long rakers. Origin of dorsal n above vertebra no.
9, origin of anal n below vertebra no. 24 and dorsal n ray
no. 28. Anus placed below dorsal n ray no 3.
Morphometric characters (in % SL). Head 18.5, depth
at origin of anal n 9.7, depth at origin of dorsal n 11.0,
upper jaw 7.7, depth of posterior maxilla 2.3, orbit 1.3, eye
ball 0.6, interorbital 3.8, snout 3.6, postorbital 13.5, preanal
Fig. 1. Timorichthys disjunctus Holotype, NMV A29734-002, 39 mm SL. Photograph: Markus Krag.
Fig. 2. Timorichthys disjunctus Holotype: A, Ventral view of sh; B, lateral view of head; C, dorsal view of head; D, ventral view of head;
E, lateral view of male copulatory organ; F, ventral view of male copulatory organ.
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New genus and species of bathyal Bythitidae
52, anus to origin of anal n 26.5, predorsal 24.5, base of
pelvic ns to origin of anal n 37.0.
Head and body naked. Body non-tapering and
compressed (Fig. 1). No lateral line. Head high with blunt
snout. Vertical ns joined. Dorsal n origin above anterior
half of pectoral n. Anal n origin near midpoint of sh.
Pectoral n below midline of sh with peduncle almost as
broad as long. Pelvic ns below opercle, almost reaching
anus. Anus midway between snout and origin of anal n
(Fig. 2 A). Mouth oblique with upper jaw ending well behind
eye. Posterior end of maxilla vertically expanded. Snout
twice as long as eye diameter. Anterior nostril close to upper
lip ending in a tube; posterior nostril a mere hole close to eye
(Fig. 2 B). Opercular spine weak and covered by skin. No
spine on preopercle. Anterior gill arch with 2 small knobs on
upper branch, 1 long raker in angle and lower branch with 5
long rakers followed by 8 small knobs. All knobs and long
rakers with small, densely placed spines. Long rakers almost
twice as long as gill laments; 2 pseudobranchial laments.
Axial skeleton (from radiographs). Number of precaudal
vertebrae 16. Anterior neural spine one-third length of
second spine. All neural and haemal spines with pointed
tips. Neural spines 2–10 decreasing in length and no. 11–16
slightly increasing in length. Precaudal vertebrae 3–8 with
depressed tips, no. 4–16 with enlarged basal parts and no.
7–16 with rather short neural spine. Parapophyses developed
on vertebrae 7–16. Pleural ribs observed on vertebrae 3–7.
Epipleural ribs not observed, but they may be too thin to
show up on radiographs.
Dentition. Palatines with very few and small teeth in
1 row. Vomer boomerang formed with few, small teeth
in 1 row. Premaxilla with 2 or 3 rows of small teeth near
symphysis, decreasing to one row posteriorad. Dentary with
3 or 4 rows of small teeth near symphysis, decreasing to 1
row posteriorad.
Head pores (Fig. 2 B–D). Three anterior infraorbital
pores forming dense pattern close to upper lip in front of eye;
infraorbital pores large, about size of posterior nostril. One
anterior mandibular pore at tip of lower jaw corresponding to
rst anterior mandibular pore in terminology of Schwarzhans
et al. (2005); anterior mandibular pore large, with papilla
at anterior rim. One moderately large posterior mandibular
pore behind termination of maxilla corresponding to third
posterior mandibular pore in terminology of Schwarzhans
et al. (2005).
Otolith (Fig. 3 A–C). Small, elongate, with length to
height ratio of 2.0 and height to thickness ratio of 1.8.
Anterior and posterior tips nearly symmetrical, pointed,
slightly shifted dorsally. Dorsal and ventral rims gently
curved without prominent angles. Inner face nearly at
with central, small, oval, undivided sulcus with single
shallow colliculum. Otolith length to colliculum length =
3.5; colliculum length to height = 2.2. Dorsal depression and
ventral furrow feeble. Outer face distinctly convex, smooth.
Male copulatory organ (Fig. 2 E–F). Large, broad hood
with free, small genital papilla inserted in proximal, ventral
position.
Colour. Head and body brown with numerous, tiny, black
spots most dense on snout, cheek and jaws. Eye bluish with
greenish lens.
Biology. Viviparous species, living near to, or on, the
bottom on the deep northwestern Australian Plateau.
Distribution. Only known from the holotype trawled at
392 m off northwestern Australia.
Etymology. From disjunctus (Latin) = separated, distant,
referring to the position of the anus midway between the
tip of the snout and the origin of the anal n. The name is
adjectival.
Fig. 3. Timorichthys disjunctus Holotype, right otolith:. A, median view; B, ventral view; C, frontal view.
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J. G. Nielsen and W. Schwarzhans
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to Martin Gomon and Dianne Bray
(NMV) who let us borrow this interesting sh. Ronald
Fricke (SMNS) is thanked for his careful review of the
manuscript.
REFERENCES
Fricke, R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. 2011. A guide to sh collections in
the Catalog of shes. Online version, updated 14 July 2011.
– Internet publication, San Francisco (California Academy
of Sciences). http://research.calacademy.org/research/
Ichthyology/Catalog/collections.asp
Nielsen, J.G. 2010. Revision of the bathyal sh genus Benthocometes
(Teleostei: Ophidiidae) with a new species from off NW
Australia. Zootaxa 2561: 59–68.
Nielsen, J.G. 2011. Revision of the bathyal sh genus Pseudonus
(Teleostei, Bythitidae); P. squamiceps a senior synonym of P.
platycephalus, new to Australian waters. Zootaxa 2867: 59–66.
Nielsen, J.G., Cohen, D.M., Markle, D.F. & Robins, C.R. 1999.
Ophidiiform shes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). FAO
species catalogue, Volume 18. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125, v.
18: I–XI + 1–178.
Schwarzhans, W., Møller, P.R. & Nielsen, J.G. 2005. Review of the
Dinematichthyini (Teleostei: Bythitidae) of the Indo-west
Pacic. Part I. Diancistrus and two new genera with 26 new
species. The Beagle. Records of the Museums and Art Galleries
of the Northern Territory 21: 73–163.
Accepted 20 October 2011