Viviparous brotula

Brotulas
	Hephthocara simum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Ophidiiformes
Family:	Bythitidae; T. N. Gill, 1861
subfamilies & genera
	Brosmophycinae Alionematichthys; Beaglichthys; Bidenichthys; Brosmodorsalis; Brosmolus; Brosmophyciops; Brosmophycis; Brotulinella; Dactylosurculus; Dermatopsis; Dermatopsoides; Diancistrus; Didymothallus; Dinematichthys; Dipulus; Eusurculus; Fiordichthys; Gunterichthys; Lapitaichthys; Lucifuga; Majungaichthys; Mascarenichthys; Melodichthys; Monothrix; Ogilbia; Paradiancistrus; Porocephalichthys; Typhliasina; Ungusurculus; Zephyrichthys; ; Bythitinae Acarobythites; Anacanthobythites; Bellottia; Bythites; Calamopteryx; Cataetyx; Diplacanthopoma; Ematops; Grammonus; Hastatobythites; Hephthocara; Microbrotula; Nielsenichthys; Ogilbichthys; Parasaccogaster; Pseudogilbia; Pseudonus; Saccogaster; Stygnobrotula; Thalassobathia; Thermichthys; ; Incertae sedis Timorichthys; Tuamotuichthys; ;

The brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes, also known as viviparous brotulas as they bear live young. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are small fishes, around 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) in length, and live in surface waters or around reefs.^[2]

A few species are freshwater: for example, the Mexican blind brotula, Ogilbia pearsei, is found in caves and sinkholes in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.

Since 2002, more than 110 new species have been added to this family.^[3] In 2005, 26 new species were described in a single paper by Danish and German scientists^[4] and in 2007, an additional eight new genera with 20 new species were described in another paper by the same scientists.^[5]

References

^ 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.
^ Nielsen, Jørgen G. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
^ http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp
^ Schwarzhans, Werner; Møller, Peter Rask; Nielsen, Jørgen G. (2005). "Review of the Dinematichthyini (Teleostei: Bythitidae) of the Indo-West Pacific. Part I. Diancistrus and Two New Genera with 26 New Species". The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 21: 73–163.
^ Schwarzhans & Møller (2007). "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". The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 23: 29–110.

Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2012). "Bythitidae" in FishBase. June 2012 version.

[1] 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.

[EoF-2] Nielsen, Jørgen G. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.

[3] ttp://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

[SMN2005-4] Schwarzhans, Werner; Møller, Peter Rask; Nielsen, Jørgen G. (2005). "Review of the Dinematichthyini (Teleostei: Bythitidae) of the Indo-West Pacific. Part I. Diancistrus and Two New Genera with 26 New Species". The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 21: 73–163.

[20new-5] Schwarzhans & Møller (2007). "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". The Beagle, Records of the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 23: 29–110.

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