Viviparous brotula explained

The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally bear live young,[1] although there are indications that some species (at least Didymothallus criniceps) do not.[2] They are generally infrequently seen, somewhat tadpole-like in overall shape and mostly about 5- in length,[1] but some species grow far larger and may surpass 60abbr=onNaNabbr=on.

Although many live near the coast in tropical or subtropical oceans,[1] there are also species in deep water and cold oceans, for example Bythites. Thermichthys hollisi, which lives at depths of around 2500m (8,200feet), is associated with thermal vents. A few are fresh or brackish water cavefish: the Mexican blind brotula (Typhliasina pearsei), Galapagos cuskeel (Ogilbia galapagosensis), Diancistrus typhlops and some Lucifuga species.[2] [3]

Since 2002, more than 110 new species have been added to this family.[4] In 2005, 26 new species were described in a single paper by Danish and German scientists[5] and in 2007, an additional eight new genera with 20 new species were described in another paper by the same scientists.[6]

In some classifications the family Aphyonidae is placed within the Bythitidae and the tribe Dinematichthyini of the subfamily Brosmophycinae has been raised to the status of a family, the Dinematichthyidae which contains 25 genera and 114 species.[7]

The Bythitidae is divided as follows:

Notes and References

  1. Book: Paxton, J.R. . Eschmeyer, W.N. . Nielsen, Jørgen G.. 1998. Encyclopedia of Fishes. Academic Press. San Diego. 134. 0-12-547665-5.
  2. Nielsen; Schwarzhans; and Hadiaty (2009). A blind, new species of Diancistrus (Teleostei, Bythitidae) from three caves on Muna Island, southeast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cybium 33(3): 241-245.
  3. Romero, A., editor (2001). The Biology of Hypogean Fishes. Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes.
  4. Web site: CAS - Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes - Genera/Species by Family/Subfamily .
  5. The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory . 21 . 2005 . 73–163 . Review of the Dinematichthyini (Teleostei: Bythitidae) of the Indo-West Pacific. Part I. Diancistrus and Two New Genera with 26 New Species . Schwarzhans, Werner . Møller, Peter Rask . Nielsen, Jørgen G. .
  6. The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory . 23 . 2007 . 29–110 . Review of the Dinematichthyini (Teleostei, Bythitidae) of the Indo-West pacific. Part III. Beaglichthys, Brosmolus, Monothrix and 8 new genera with description of 20 new species. . Schwarzhans & Møller.
  7. Møller PR . Knudsen SW . Schwarzhans W . Nielsen JG . 2016 . A new classification of viviparous brotulas (Bythitidae) - with family status for Dinematichthyidae - based on molecular, morphological and fossil data . 27060424 . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 100 . 391–408 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.008. Abstract
  8. Nielsen J.G., Schwarzhans W., Cohen D.M. . 2012 . Revision of Hastatobythites and Saccogaster (Teleostei, Bythitidae) with three new species and a new genus . Zootaxa . 3579 . 1–36 . 10.11646/zootaxa.3579.1.1.

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