Brotulas are a family, 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 centimetres (2 in) to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, and live in surface waters or around reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s.

A few species are freshwater: for example, the Mexican blind brotula

Mexican blind brotula

The Mexican blind brotula, Ogilbia pearsei, is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Mexico.-References:* Contreras-Balderas, S. & Almada-Villela, P. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....

, Ogilbia pearsei, is found in caves and sinkholes in the Yucatán Peninsula

Yucatán Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

In recent years many new species have been added to this family. In 2007 8 new genera with 20 new species were described in a single paper by Danish and German scientists.

Genera and species

There are more than 100 species in some 36 genera:

• Genus Acarobythites
  • Acarobythites larsonae Machida, 2000.
• Genus Anacanthobythites Anderson, 2008
  • Anacanthobythites platycephalus Anderson, 2008
  • Anacanthobythites tasmaninensis Anderson, 2008
• Genus Beaglichthys
  • Beaglichthys bleekeri Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Beaglichthys larsonae Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Beaglichthys macrophthalmus Machida, 1993.
• Genus Bellottia
  • Bellottia apoda Giglioli, 1883.
  • Bellottia armiger (Smith & Radcliffe, 1913).
• Genus Bidenichthys
  • Bidenichthys beeblebroxi Paulin, 1995.
  • Freetail brotula, Bidenichthys capensis Barnard, 1934.
  • Grey brotula
    Grey brotula
    The grey brotula or orange cuskeel, Bidenichthys consobrinus, is a cusk eel of the genus Bidenichthys, found around northern New Zealand.-References:...
    
    , Bidenichthys consobrinus (Hutton, 1876).
    
• Genus Brosmodorsalis
  • Pink brotula
    Pink brotula
    The pink brotula, Brosmodorsalis persicinus, is a viviparous brotula of the family Bythitidae, the only member of the genus Brosmodorsalis. It is found along the northeast coast of the North Island of New Zealand from shallow depths to about 17 m. Their length is up to 6 cm....
    
    , Brosmodorsalis persicinus Paulin & Roberts, 1989.
• Genus Brosmolus
  • Brosmolus longicaudus Machida, 1993.
• Genus Brosmophyciops
  • Slimy cuskeel, Brosmophyciops pautzkei Schultz, 1960.
• Genus Brosmophycis
  • Red brotula, Brosmophycis marginata (Ayres
    William Orville Ayres
    William Orville Ayres was an American physician and ichthyologist. Born in Connecticut, he studied to become a doctor at Yale University School of Medicine....
    
    , 1854).
• Genus Brotulina
  • Brotulina erythrea (Fowler, 1946).
  • Dusky brotulid, Brotulina fusca Fowler, 1946.
• Genus Bythites
  • Bythites fuscus (Fowler, 1946).
  • Bythites gerdae Nielsen & Cohen, 1973.
  • Bythites islandicus Nielsen & Cohen, 1973.
• Genus Calamopteryx
  • Longarm brotula, Calamopteryx goslinei Böhlke & Cohen, 1966.
  • Calamopteryx jeb Cohen, 1973.
  • Teacher brotula, Calamopteryx robinsorum Cohen, 1973.
• Genus Cataetyx Günther, 1887
  • Cataetyx alleni (Byrne, 1906).
  • Cataetyx bruuni (Nielsen & Nybelin, 1963).
  • Cataetyx chthamalorhynchus Cohen, 1981.
  • Cataetyx hawaiiensis Gosline, 1954.
  • Cataetyx laticeps Koefoed, 1927.
  • Cataetyx lepidogenys (Smith & Radcliffe, 1913).
  • Hairlip brotula
    Hairlip brotula
    The hairlip brotula, Cataetyx messieri, is a brotula of the genus Cataetyx, found around South America from Argentina to Chile at depths of between 200 and 1,500 m. Their length is between 60 and 70 cm.-References:...
    
    , Cataetyx messieri (Günther, 1878).
    
  • Brown brotula, Cataetyx niki Cohen, 1981.
  • Cataetyx platyrhynchus Machida, 1984.
  • Rubynose brotula, Cataetyx rubrirostris Gilbert, 1890.
  • Cataetyx simus (Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
    
    , 1892).
• Genus Dactylosurculus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Dactylosurculus gomoni Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Dermatopsis
  • Dermatopsis greenfieldi Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Dermatopsis hoesei Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Dermatopsis joergennielseni Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Fleshfish
    Fleshfish
    The fleshfish, Dermatopsis macrodon, is a cusk eel of the genus Dermatopsis, found in southern Australia and around New Zealand.-References:...
    
    , Dermatopsis macrodon Ogilby
    William Ogilby
    William Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
    
    , 1896.
    
  • Dermatopsis multiradiatus McCulloch & Waite, 1918.
• Genus Dermatopsoides
  • Dermatopsoides andersoni Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Orange brotula, Dermatopsoides kasougae (Smith, 1943).
  • Dermatopsoides morrisonae Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Lesser orange brotula, Dermatopsoides talboti Cohen, 1966.
• Genus Diancistrus
  • Diancistrus longifilis Ogilby
    William Ogilby
    William Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
    
    , 1899.
• Genus Didymothallus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Didymothallus criniceps Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Didymothallus pruvosti Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Dinematichthys
  Dinematichthys
  Dinematichthys is a genus of fish in the bythidid family . Its name comes from Greek, meaning two-filamented fish .-Species:There are seven species....
  
  
  • Dinematichthys dasyrhynchus Cohen & Hutchins, 1982.
  • Yellow pigmy brotula, Dinematichthys iluocoeteoides Bleeker
    Pieter Bleeker
    Pieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
    
    , 1855.
  • Dinematichthys indicus Machida, 1994.
  • Dinematichthys megasoma Machida, 1994.
  • Dinematichthys minyomma Sedor & Cohen, 1987.
  • Hump-backed dwarf brotula, Dinematichthys randalli Machida, 1994.
  • Dinematichthys riukiuensis Aoyagi, 1954.
• Genus Diplacanthopoma Günther, 1887
  • Diplacanthopoma alcockii Goode & Bean, 1896.
  • Diplacanthopoma brachysoma Günther, 1887.
  • Diplacanthopoma brunnea Smith & Radcliffe, 1913.
  • Diplacanthopoma japonicus (Steindachner
    Franz Steindachner
    Franz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
    
     & Döderlein, 1887).
  • Diplacanthopoma jordani Garman, 1899.
  • Diplacanthopoma kreffti Cohen & Nielsen, 2002.
  • Diplacanthopoma nigripinnis Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924.
  • Diplacanthopoma raniceps Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
    
    , 1898.
  • Diplacanthopoma riversandersoni Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
    
    , 1895.
• Genus Dipulus
  • Dipulus caecus Waite, 1905.
  • Dipulus hutchinsi Møller & Schwarzhans, 2006.
  • Dipulus norfolkanus Machida, 1993.
• Genus Eusurculus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Eusurculus andamanensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Eusurculus pistillum Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Eusurculus pristinus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Fiordichthys
  • Fiordland brotula
    Fiordland brotula
    The Fiordland brotula, Fiordichthys slartibartfasti, is a rare viviparous brotula of the family Bythitidae, the only member of the genus Fiordichthys. It is found only in the Fiordland region of the South Island of New Zealand....
    
    , Fiordichthys slartibartfasti Paulin, 1995.
• Genus Grammonoides
  • Bighead brotula, Grammonoides opisthodon (Smith, 1934).
• Genus Grammonus
  • Grammonus ater (Risso
    Antoine Risso
    Giuseppe Antonio Risso , called Antoine Risso, was a Niçard naturalist.Risso was born in Nice, County of Nice, a part of the Duchy of Savoy, and studied under Giovanni Battista Balbis. He published , and . Risso's dolphin was named after him...
    
    , 1810).
  • Reef-cave brotula, Grammonus claudei (de la Torre y Huerta, 1930).
  • Purple brotula, Grammonus diagrammus (Heller & Snodgrass, 1903).
  • Grammonus longhursti (Cohen, 1964).
  • Grammonus nagaredai Randall & Hughes, 2009
  • Grammonus robustus Smith & Radcliffe, 1913.
  • Grammonus thielei Nielsen & Cohen, 2004.
  • Grammonus waikiki (Cohen, 1964).
  • Grammonus yunokawai Nielsen, 2007.
• Genus Gunterichthys
  • Gold brotula, Gunterichthys longipenis Dawson, 1966.
• Genus Hastatobythites
  • Hastatobythites arafurensis Machida, 1997.
• Genus Hephthocara
  • Hephthocara crassiceps Smith & Radcliffe, 1913.
  • Hephthocara simum Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
    
    , 1892.
• Genus Lapitaichthys Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Lapitaichthys frickei Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Lucifuga
  Lucifuga
  Lucifuga is a genus of fish in the Bythitidae family.It contains the following species:* Lucifuga simile* New Providence cusk-eel * Lucifuga subterranea* Lucifuga teresinarum...
  
  
  • Toothed Cuban cusk-eel, Lucifuga dentata Poey
    Felipe Poey
    -Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
    
    , 1858.
  • Lucifuga inopinata Cohen & McCosker, 1998.
  • Lucifuga simile
    Lucifuga simile
    Lucifuga simile is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Cuba. It is a demersal species that can be found in freshwater and brackish water. It can reach a length of 8.8 centimeters.-References:...
    
    Nalbant, 1981.
  • New Providence cusk-eel
    New Providence cusk-eel
    The New Providence cusk-eel, Lucifuga spelaeotes, is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to the Bahamas.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    , Lucifuga spelaeotes Cohen & Robins, 1970.
  • Cuban cusk-eel, Lucifuga subterranea
    Lucifuga subterranea
    Lucifuga subterranea, or the Cuban cusk-eel, is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Cuba.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    Poey
    Felipe Poey
    -Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
    
    , 1858.
  • Lucifuga teresinarum
    Lucifuga teresinarum
    Lucifuga teresinarum is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Cuba.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    Díaz Pérez, 1988.
• Genus Majungaichthys Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Majungaichthys simplex Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Mascarenichthys Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Mascarenichthys heemstrai Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Mascarenichthys microphthalmus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Melodichthys
  • Melodichthys hadrocephalus Nielsen & Cohen, 1986.
  • Melodichthys paxtoni Nielsen & Cohen, 1986.
• Genus Microbrotula
  • Microbrotula bentleyi Anderson, 2005.
  • Microbrotula greenfieldi Anderson, 2007
  • Microbrotula polyactis Anderson, 2005.
  • Microbrotula punicea Anderson, 2007.
  • Microbrotula queenslandica Anderson, 2005.
  • Microbrotula randalli (Machida, 1994).
  • Microbrotula rubra Gosline, 1953.
• Genus Monothrix
  • Monothrix mizolepis (Günther, 1867).
  • Monothrix polylepis Ogilby
    William Ogilby
    William Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
    
    , 1897.
• Genus Ogilbia
  Ogilbia
  Ogilbia is a genus of fish in the Bythitidae family.It contains the following species:* Ogilbia cayorum - Key brotula* Ogilbia galapagosensis - Galapagos cuskeel* Ogilbia pearsei - Mexican blind brotula* Ogilbia suarezae...
  
  
  • Key brotula, Ogilbia cayorum Evermann & Kendall, 1898.
  • Deroy's cuskeel, Ogilbia deroyi (Poll & van Mol, 1966).
  • Galapagos cuskeel, Ogilbia galapagosensis
    Ogilbia galapagosensis
    Ogilbia galapagosensis, or the Galapagos cuskeel, is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    (Poll & LeLeup, 1965).
  • Mexican blind brotula
    Mexican blind brotula
    The Mexican blind brotula, Ogilbia pearsei, is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Mexico.-References:* Contreras-Balderas, S. & Almada-Villela, P. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    , Ogilbia pearsei (Hubbs, 1938).
  • Gulf cuskeel, Ogilbia ventralis (Gill
    Theodore Gill
    Theodore Nicholas Gill was an American ichthyologist, mammalogist, malacologist and librarian.Born and educated in New York City under private tutors, Gill early showed interest in natural history. He was associated with J...
    
    , 1863).
  • Ogilbia suarezae
    Ogilbia suarezae
    Ogilbia suarezae is a species of fish of the genus Ogilbia found in the shallows of the Caribbean Sea. It is yellowish in color and is livebearing. It was named in honor of Susan Suarez, a professor at Cornell University, in recognition of her careful study of the reproductive biology of the...
    
    Møller, Schwarzhans & Nielsen, 2005.
• Genus Parabrosmolus
  • Parabrosmolus novaeguineae Machida, 1996.
• Genus Paradiancistrus
  • Paradiancistrus lombokensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Pseudonus
  • Pseudonus acutus Garman, 1899.
  • Pseudonus platycephalus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1913).
  • Pseudonus squamiceps (Lloyd, 1907).
• Genus Saccogaster
  Saccogaster
  Saccogaster is a genus of fish in the Bythitidae family.It includes Saccogaster melanomycter....
  
  
  • Saccogaster hawaii Cohen & Nielsen, 1972.
  • Saccogaster maculata Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock
    Alfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
    
    , 1889.
  • Saccogaster melanomycter
    Saccogaster melanomycter
    Saccogaster melanomycter is a species of fish in the Bythitidae family. It is endemic to Colombia.-References:* Acero, A. 1996. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
    
    Cohen, 1981.
  • Saccogaster normae Cohen & Nielsen, 1972.
  • Saccogaster parva Cohen & Nielsen, 1972.
  • Saccogaster rhamphidognatha Cohen, 1987.
  • Saccogaster staigeri Cohen & Nielsen, 1972.
  • Saccogaster tuberculata (Chan, 1966).
• Genus Stygnobrotula
  • Black widow, Stygnobrotula latebricola Böhlke, 1957.
• Genus Thalassobathia
  • Thalassobathia nelsoni Lee, 1974.
  • Thalassobathia pelagica Cohen, 1963.
• Genus Thermichthys
  • Thermichthys hollisi (Cohen, Rosenblatt & Moser, 1990).
• Genus Tuamotuichthys
  • Tuamotuichthys bispinosus Møller, Schwarzhans & Nielsen, 2004.
  • Tuamotuichthys marshallensis Nielsen, Møller & Randall, 2006.
• Genus Ungusurculus Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus collettei Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus komodoensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus philippinensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus riauensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus sundaensis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Ungusurculus williamsis Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
• Genus Zephyrichthys Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.
  • Zephyrichthys barryi Schwarzhans & Møller, 2007.