The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of
ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally
bear live young,
although there are indications that some species (at least ''
Didymothallus criniceps'') do not.
[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.] They are generally infrequently seen, somewhat
tadpole
A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...
-like in overall shape and mostly about in length,
but some species grow far larger and may surpass .
Although many live near the coast in tropical or
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
oceans,
[ there are also species in deep water and cold oceans, for example '' Bythites''. '' Thermichthys hollisi'', which lives at depths of around , is associated with ]thermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure on the seabed from which geothermally heated water discharges. They are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart at mid-ocean ridges, ocean basins, and hotspot ...
s. A few are fresh or brackish
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
water cavefish
Cavefish or cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypog ...
: the Mexican blind brotula
The Mexican blind brotula (''Typhliasina pearsei'') is a species of viviparous brotula endemic to Mexico, where it is found in sinkholes and caves. It is known as ''sak kay'' in Mayan and ''dama blanca ciega'' in Spanish. This cavefish grows to ...
(''Typhliasina pearsei''), Galapagos cuskeel (''Ogilbia galapagosensis''), '' Diancistrus typhlops'' and some '' Lucifuga'' species.[
Since 2002, more than 110 new species have been added to this family.
In 2005, 26 new species were described in a single paper by Danish and German scientists]tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
Dinematichthyini of the subfamily Brosmophycinae has been raised to the status of a family, the Dinematichthyidae which contains 25 genera and 114 species.[ Abstract]
The Bythitidae is divided as follows:
*Subfamily Brosmophycinae
** Tribe Dinematichthyini
*** ''Alionematichthys
''Alionematichthys'' is a genus of viviparous brotula
The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally viviparity, bear live young, although there are indicat ...
''
*** ''Beaglichthys
''Beaglichthys'' is a genus of viviparous brotula
The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally viviparity, bear live young, although there are indications ...
''
*** ''Brosmolus
The longtail cusk (''Brosmolus longicaudus'') is a species of viviparous brotula native to the reefs around Australia. This species grows to a length of SL.
It is a benthic species likely living in inshore waters around the Indio-Pacific with ...
''
*** ''Brotulinella
The Taiwan coral-brotula (''Brotulinella taiwanensis'') is a species of viviparous brotula, the only known member of its genus, found mostly in the surge zone of the waters around Taiwan and the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilip ...
''
*** ''Dactylosurculus
The Southern pygmy blindfish (''Dactylosurculus gomoni'') is a species of viviparous brotula, the only known member of its genus, found in the waters of the Indian Ocean off the coast of western Australia. This species grows to a length of SL. ...
''
*** ''Dermatopsis
''Dermatopsis'' is a genus of viviparous brotula
The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally viviparity, bear live young, although there are indications ...
''
*** ''Dermatopsoides
''Dermatopsoides'' is a genus of viviparous brotulas.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:
* '' Dermatopsoides andersoni'' Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006 (Anderson's mudbrotula)
* '' Dermatopsoides kasougae'' (J. L. ...
''
*** '' Diancistrus''
*** '' Didymothallus''
*** ''Dinematichthys
''Dinematichthys'' is a genus of viviparous brotulas. Its name comes from Greek, meaning ''two-filamented fish'' (''di'' means two, ''nema'' filament and ''ichthys'' fish).
Species
There are currently two recognized species in this genus:
* ''Di ...
''
*** ''Dipulus
''Dipulus'' is a genus of viviparous brotulas.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:
* '' Dipulus caecus'' Waite, 1905 (Orange eelpout)
* '' Dipulus hutchinsi'' Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006 (Hutchin's mudbrotula)
* ...
''
*** ''Gunterichthys
''Gunterichthys'' is a genus of viviparous brotula
The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally viviparity, bear live young, although there are indication ...
''
*** ''Lapitaichthys
''Lapitaichthys frickei'' is a species of viviparous brotula found on reefs around New Caledonia. This species grows to a length of SL. This species is the only known member of its genus. The specific name refers to the ichthyologist Ronald ...
''
*** '' Majungaichthys''
*** '' Mascarenichthys''
*** '' Monothrix''
*** '' Nielsenichthys''
*** '' Ogilbia''
*** '' Ogilbichthys''
*** '' Paradiancistrus''
*** '' Porocephalichthys''
*** '' Typhliasina''
*** '' Ungusurculus''
*** '' Zephyrichthys''
** Tribe Brosmophycini
*** '' Bidenichthys''
*** '' Brosmodorsalis''
*** '' Brosmophyciops''
*** '' Brosmophycis''
*** '' Eusurculus''
*** '' Fiordichthys''
*** '' Lucifuga''
*** '' Melodichthys''
* Subfamily Bythitinae
** '' Acarobythites''
** '' Anacanthobythites''
** '' Bellottia''
** '' Bythites''
** '' Calamopteryx''
** '' Cataetyx''
** ''Diplacanthopoma
''Diplacanthopoma'' is a genus of viviparous brotulas.
Species
There are currently nine recognized species in this genus:
* ''Diplacanthopoma alcockii'' George Brown Goode, Goode & Tarleton Hoffman Bean, T. H. Bean, 1896
* ''Diplacanthopoma brac ...
''
** '' Ematops''
** '' Grammonus''
** '' Hastatobythites''
** ''Hephthocara
''Hephthocara'' is a small genus of Indo-Pacific viviparous brotula.
Species
There are currently two recognized species in this genus:
* ''Hephthocara crassiceps'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913
* ''Hephthocara simum
''Hephthocara'' is a smal ...
''
** '' Microbrotula''
** '' Parasaccogaster''
References
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1335355
Bythitidae
Viviparous fish