A new classification of the family Ariidae (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) based on combined analyses of morphological and molecular data Author Marceniuk, Alexandre Pires Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, conjunto Presidente Castelo Branco III, João Pessoa, PB 58050 - 000, Brazil & Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB 58429 - 500, Brazil & Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP 18618 - 970, Brazil a_marceniuk@hotmail.com Author Oliveira, Claudio Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP 18618 - 970, Brazil Author Ferraris Jr, Carl J. 545 NE Floral Pl., Portland, OR 97232, USA text Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 2024 2023-08-21 200 2 426 476 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad078 journal article 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad078 0024-4082 11240120 5D6C7EBF-E568-4100-9364-2DD357003878 Paragenidens Marceniuk et al. 2019 ( Figs 1–3 , 12C , 15 ) Type species: Arius grandoculis Steindachner, 1877 . Diagnosis Mesethmoid median portion very narrow (2, 1> 0); lateral horn of lateral ethmoid long and posteriorly oriented (12, 1> 2); bony bridge formed by lateral ethmoid and frontal cylindrical and thin (16, 0> 1); frontal mesial laminar projection absent (23, 1> 0); anterior margin of vomer very pronounced and acute (50, 0> 1); lateral expansions of orbitosphenoid and pterosphenoid absent (64, 1> 0); optic foramen very large (67, 1> 0), homoplastic in Potamarius ; distance between optic foramen and trigemino-facialis foramen small, equal to width of trigemino-facialis foramen (68, 1> 0); contact face for articulation of transcapular process with basioccipital large and depressed (85, 0> 1); transcapular process very short and thick (87, 0> 1); maxilla lateral and mesial margins considerably closer to each other proximally, distally narrow and pointed (102, 2> 3); premaxilla very wide and short, only as long as wide (120, 1> 3); opercle posterior portion well developed posteriorly (129, 0> 1); interopercle rectangular (134, 0> 1), homoplastic in Potamarius ; metapterygoid one and one-half times longer than deep in perpendicular section (135, 1> 2); metapterygoid anterior process truncate (138, 0> 1); bony blade connecting posterolateral processes of urohyal absent (159, 0> 1); third basibranchial long and narrow (169, 1> 2); third pharyngobranchial funnel shaped (192, 1> 0); 14 or fewer ribs (213, 1> 0). Ambiguous optimization: Posterior cranial fontanel relatively narrow and long (27, 0> 1). Included species Paragenidens grandoculis (Steindachner, 1877) . Habitat and distribution: Fresh and brackish waters, east coast of Brazil ( Fig. 12 ). Remarks The total-evidence analysis corroborates the result of a previous morphological and molecular study that supports the recognition of Paragenidens ( Marceniuk et al. 2019c ) .