Aceroichthys, Marceniuk & Oliveira & Ferraris Jr, 2024

Marceniuk, Alexandre Pires, Oliveira, Claudio & Ferraris Jr, Carl J., 2024, A new classification of the family Ariidae (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) based on combined analyses of morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 200 (2), pp. 426-476 : 463

Aceroichthys gen. nov.

( Figs 1– 3 , 38E , 39 )

Type species: Arius dioctes Kailola, 2000 .

Diagnosis

Posterior branches of mesethmoid very long, delimiting one-half of length of anterior cranial fontanel (8, 0> 2); lateral horn of lateral ethmoid variable length and laterally oriented (12, 1> 0); posterior branch of lateral ethmoid depressed (13, 0> 1); lateral expansions of orbitosphenoid and pterosphenoid absent (64, 1> 0); parasphenoid very wide in ventral view (66, 0> 1); exoccipital posterior process not supporting Müllerian ramus (94, 1> 0); premaxilla wide and short, its length more than four times in width (120, 1> 0); anteroventral portion of opercle subtrapezoidal, very long (127, 1> 0); no more than one-half of posterior part of interopercle contacting ventral margin of opercle (131, 1> 0); posterolateral processes of urohyal almost as long as distal portion of bone (162, 2> 0).

Etymology

Named after the Colombian ichthyologist Arturo Acero P. (b. 1954) to honour his valuable contributions to ariid taxonomy. Gender: masculine.

Included species

Aceroichthys dioctes Kailola, 2000 .

Habitat and distribution: Fresh and brackish waters, southern New Guinea and northern Australia ( Fig. 38 ).

Remarks

Aceroichthys is established based on morphological and molecular evidence to accommodate Aceroichthys dioctes , with phylogenetic relationships first reported in a molecular study (Betancur-R. 2009).

Figures

Figure 1. MP analysis.Subfamilies (SF) Galeichthyinae (pink), Bagreinae (bright blue), and Ariinae (dark blue). Tribe (T) Ariini (blue), Cathopsini (orange), Genidentini tribe nov. (brown), and Sciadeini tribe nov. (light green).Subtribe (ST) Ariina (light blue) and Doiichthyina (green). Incertae sedis taxa (IS) (red). Numbers over branches correspond to the bootstrap support.

Figure 2. ML analysis. Subfamilies (SF) Galeichthyinae (pink), Bagreinae (bright blue), and Ariinae (dark blue). Tribe (T) Ariini (blue), Cathopsini (orange), Genidentini tribe nov. (brown), and Sciadeini tribe nov. (light green). Subtribe (ST) Ariina (light blue) and Doiichthyina (green). Incertae sedis taxa (IS) (red). Numbers over branches correspond to the bootstrap support.

Figure 3. BI analysis.Subfamilies (SF) Galeichthyinae (pink), Bagreinae (bright blue), and Ariinae (dark blue). Tribe (T) Ariini (blue), Cathopsini (orange), Genidentini tribe nov. (brown), and Sciadeini tribe nov. (light green).Subtribe (ST) Ariina (light blue) and Doiichthyina (green). Incertae sedis taxa (IS) (red). Numbers over branches correspond to the bootstrap support.

Figure 38. Representative skulls, in dorsal view, and distribution of the subtribe Doiichthyina.A, Brustiarius nox, AUM 47488. B, Paracinetodus carinatus, AUM 47550.C, Cochlefelis spatula, AUM 50296. D, Nedystoma dayi, AUM 47500. E, Aceroichthys dioctes, AUM 47507. F, Pachyula crassilabris, AUM 47509. G, Pararius proximus, AUM 47486.H, Potamosilurus velutinus, AUM 47489.* marine, ** brackish waters, *** freshwater.

Figure 39. Aceroichthys dioctes, Australia and New Guinea, photograph by Ricardo Betancur-R., type species of the genus.