Ariidae

Alexandre P. Marceniuk & Naércio A. Menezes, 2007, Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera., Zootaxa (1416), pp. 1-126 : 7

Family Ariidae Bleeker, 1862

Arii Bleeker, 1862: 7, 25. Type genus: Arius Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840b.

Hemipimelodinae Gill, 1861: 46. Type genus: Hemipimelodus Bleeker, 1858.

Batrachocephalinae Gill, 1893: 132. Type genus: Batrachocephalus Bleeker, 1846.

Doiichthyidae Weber, 1913: 532. Type genus: Doiichthys Weber, 1913.

Bagreidae Schultz, 1944: 182. Type genus: Bagre Oken, 1817.

Osteogeneiosinae Fowler, 1951: 3. Type genus: Osteogeneiosus Bleeker, 1846.

Vorhisiidae † Frizzell, 1965: 179. Type genus: Vorhisia † Frizzell, 1965.

Diagnosis. The family Ariidae can be distinguished from all other Siluriformes by the following characters: external posterior branch of lateral ethmoid columnar; a bony blade anteriorly connecting the nasal tubules; lateral ethmoid and frontal bones connected mesially and laterally delimiting a fontanel (fig. 1) (shared with Pangasiidae and Schilbeidae ); presence of three infraorbitals (fig. 2) (shared with Doradidae , Mochokidae and Pimelodidae ); lachrymal well developed (fig. 3); space between transcapular process and otic capsule small; otic capsules enlarged; wing process of parasphenoid present (shared with Bagridae and Schilbeidae ); subvertebral process well developed (fig. 4); anterior portion of second basibranchial expanded and very conspicuous (fig. 5); third pharyngobranchial boomerang shaped (fig. 6); anterior portion of proximal cartilage of fourth ceratobranchial narrow about one-half as wide as posterior portion; dorsal processes of pharyngeal tooth plates long (fig. 7); anterior and posterior nostrils close together (shared with Diplomystidae ).

Remarks. To be consistent with the results of the phylogenetic analysis reported by Marceniuk (2003) in order to accommodate all the names available without creating unnecessary nomenclatural conflicts, the following genera are recognized: Amissidens , Arius , Aspistor , Bagre , Batrachocephalus , Brustiarius , Cathorops , Cephalocassis , Cinetodus , Cochlefelis , Cryptarius , Doiichthys , Galeichthys , Genidens , Hemiarius , Ketengus , Nedystoma , Nemapteryx , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Osteogeneiosus , Pachyula , Plicofollis , Potamarius and Sciades . Three new genera have to be erected: Amphiarius , Carlarius and Potamosilurus . The nominal genera Bagre Oken, 1817, Glanis , Stearopterus , Breviceps non Merrem, 1820, Felichthys , Ailurichthys , Mystus non Scopoli, 1777 and Anemanotus are junior synonyms of Bagre Cloquet, 1816. Hexanematichthys , Sciadeichthys , Selenaspis , Ariopsis and Leptarius are synonymous with Sciades . The nominal genus Pseudarius is an objective synonym and Arioides is subjective synonym of Arius . Sciadeops is synonymous with Notarius . Catastoma and Sarcogenys are synonymous with Netuma . Tetranesodon is tentatively recognized as synonym of Pachyula . Hemipimelodus is synonymous with Cephalocassis . Septobranchus is a junior synonym of Cinetodus . Guiritinga is a new synonym of Genidens .

The genus Doiichthys formerly considered the single representative of the family Doiichthyidae by Weber & de Beaufort (1913) and Berg (1940) and not examined either by Mo (1991) or de Pinna (1993), shares a series of synapomorphies with the other members of the Ariidae (Kailola, 1990a, 2004; Marceniuk, 2003) and is included in this family. The nominal genus Tachysurus ( Lacépède, 1803) as already noted by Regan (1907) cannot be recognized in the Ariidae contrary to the conclusion of Eigenmann & Eigenmann (1888), Miranda-Ribeiro (1918), Fowler (1928) and Chandy (1953) as emphasized by Wheeler & Baddokwaya (1981). Following Mo (1991) and de Pinna (1993), Ancharius is not considered a member of the Ariidae . It belongs in its own family Anchariidae (Ng & Sparks, 2005).