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 Occidentarius Betancur-R. & Acero P., 2007 ( Figs 1–3 , 7–8 ) Type species: Arius platypogon Günther, 1864 . Diagnosis Posterior branch of lateral ethmoid depressed (13, 0> 1); fenestra delimited by lateral ethmoid and frontal very small or indistinct (17, 1> 0); temporal fossa absent (38, 0> 1); epioccipital contacting small narrow area of diagonal crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra (44, 2> 0); ventral crest of parieto-supraoccipital process well-developed through entire extension of process (48, 0> 1); transverse crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra very high (200, 0> 1); median crest associated with neural spine of third vertebra very high (201, 0> 1); median crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra very high (202, 0> 1). Ambiguous optimization: Vomer lateral processes wide (53, 1> 0); tooth plates associated with vomer present (55, 0> 1); subvertebral process indistinct or weakly developed (78, 1> 0); dorsal crest of urohyal projected anteriorly (156, 0> 1). Figure 7. Representative skull, in dorsal view, and distribution of the Ariinae incertae sedis . A, Occidentarius platypogon , catfishesbone. acnatsci.org. Included species Occidentarius platypogon ( Günther, 1864 ) . Habitat and distribution: Marine, western America ( Fig. 7 ). Remarks The genus Occidentarius was well defined in previous morphological and molecular studies (Marceniuk and Menezes 2003, Betancur-R. 2009, Marceniuk et al. 2012 ), which was corroborated in the present analysis, but without consensus regarding its relationships.