Neobythites jenui sp. nov. (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), a new cusk eel from the southwest coast of India, distinguished by an unusually high caudal fin ray count

A single specimen of Neobythites (181 mm standard length) is described here as new, set apart from its closest congeners by a combination of meristic characters and morphometric variation. In colour pattern, the fish carries a distinct lateral stripe running from behind the operculum to the tail at eye level, a dark-brown to grey dorsal fin margin, dark brown to greyish pigmentation over the distal dorsal fin and posterior two thirds of the anal fin, and two spines on the hind margin of the preoperculum, A COI based tree, sampling a wide set of congeners, places SK119 on its own branch, sister to a clade of N. analis, N. fasciatus, and N. stigmosus at 82% bootstrap support, consistent with the morphological comparison. Taken together, the finray counts, gillarch characters, vertebral position of the analfin origin, and colour pattern support recognition of the present Neobythites as a distinct species.