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 Hexanematichthys Bleeker, 1858 ( Figs 1–3 , 24D , 32 ) Type species: Bagrus sondaicus Valenciennes, 1840 . Diagnosis Posterior branches of mesethmoid moderately long, delimiting between one-fourth and one-half of length of anterior cranial fontanel (8, 0> 1); posterior branch of lateral ethmoid depressed (13, 0> 1); posterior cranial fontanel absent (26, 1> 0); epiphyseal bar indistinct (28, 0> 1); temporal fossa absent (38, 0> 1); accessory tooth plates small, oval to rounded (60, 2> 1); lateral margins of orbitosphenoid progressively diverging anteriorly (63, 0> 1); autopalatine posterior portion conspicuously compressed (106, 0> 1); articulation of autopalatine with lateral ethmoid mesoposteriorly oriented (110, 0> 1); lateral and mesial portions of premaxilla with different sizes (121, 0> 1); anteroventral portion of opercle subtrapezoidal, very long (127, 1> 0); Müllerian ramus distal third markedly curved (208, 1> 2). Ambiguous optimization: Exoccipital bony crest perpendicular to vertebral column and ventrolaterally directed (92, 1> 0); 15 or more ribs (213, 0> 1); second dorsal cleithral process posteriorly directed and parallel to posterior process (226, 1> 0). Figure 31. Hemipimelodus macrocephalus Bleeker, 1858 , junior synonym of Hemipimelodus borneensis Bleeker, 1851 , BMNH 1863.12.4.78, Sundaland, Malaysia to Vietnam, type species of the genus. Included species Hexanematichthys sagor Hamilton, 1822 . Habitat and distribution: Brackish and marine waters, South and Southeast Asia ( Fig. 24 ). Remarks The total-evidence analysis supports the validity of Hexanematichthys , corroborating the result of a previous molecular study (Betancur-R. 2009) that reveals a strong morphological convergence between Hexanematichthys and Sciades (characters 26, 28, 93, 106, and 110), which had resulted in them having previously been treated as synonyms ( Marceniuk et al. 2012 ).