Bidenichthys beeblebroxi Paulin, 1995
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Bidenichthys beeblebroxi is a species of common reef fish of the family Bythitidae. The species is found in the coastal waters off North Island and northern South Island, New Zealand. It is a common, uniformly gray-brown fish, ranging from SL 6.5–9.5 centimetres (2+1⁄2–3+3⁄4 in) long in one study, found in holes beneath rocks and boulders in kelp forest and other reef habitats from the surface down to depths of 30 metres (98 ft). The species was described by Chris D. Paulin in 1995. IUCN and the Catalog of Fishes consider it a synonym of Bidenichthys consobrinus.
The species was named after the character Zaphod Beeblebrox in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
The common names gray or grey brotula and orange cuskeel were used to describe Bidenichthys consobrinus (F. W. Hutton, 1876) prior to Paulin's 1995 redescription of B. consobrinus and description of B. beeblebroxi, in which Paulin referred to "the common grey brotula, here described as a new species [B. beeblebroxi], and Hutton's 'consobrinus'...".
Wikipedia contributors, Bidenichthys beeblebroxi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:10:49.237919+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Bidenichthys beeblebroxi Paulin, 1995
- Name authority
- Paulin, 1995
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Ophidiiformes
- Family
- Bythitidae
- Genus
- Bidenichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderOphidiiformes
- familyBythitidae Gill, 1861
- genusBidenichthys Barnard, 1934
- speciesBidenichthys beeblebroxi Paulin, 1995
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Bidenichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bidenichthys slartibartfasti (Paulin, 1995) | BythitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Bidenichthys struthersi Schwarzhans, 2019 | BythitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Bidenichthys capensis Barnard, 1934 | BythitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Paulin, C. D. (1995). Description of a new genus and two new species of bythitid fishes, and a redescription of Bidenichthys consobrinus (Hutton) from New Zealand. Journal of Natural History, 29 (1): 249–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939500770121 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:LS27. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.