Cryptarius Kailola 2004

Cryptarius Kailola, 2004

(Figs 1–3, 24C, 29)

Type species: Arius truncatus Valenciennes, 1840.

Diagnosis

Mesethmoid medial notch large and shallow (1, 1> 0); mesethmoid median portion very wide (2, 0> 2); epioccipital contacting small narrow area of diagonal crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra (44, 1> 0); epioccipital posterior process and medial crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra connected (45, 0> 1); vomer arrow shaped (49, 1> 3); vomer anterior margin weakly pronounced and serrated (50, 1> 0); contact face for articulation of transcapular process with basioccipital large and depressed (85, 0> 1); transcapular process at right angle to body axis (86, 0> 1); articulation between metapterygoid and quadrate by interdigitated suture in small portion of contact and by overlapping in remaining contact area (136, 0> 1); metapterygoid anterior process rounded (138, 0> 2); anterior portion of anterior ceratohyal compressed (150, 0> 1); posterolateral processes of urohyal long (160, 0> 1); posterolateral processes of urohyal almost as long as distal portion of bone (162, 2> 0); posterior portion of second basibranchial long and wide (167, 2> 0); first pharyngobranchial large and depressed (190, 0> 1); median crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra very high (202, 0> 1); gas bladder lateral diverticula present (243, 0> 1); lateral line not bifurcated, reaching dorsal caudal-fin lobe (247, 2> 1).

Ambiguous optimization: Interopercle anterior portion thin and acute (133, 0> 2); transverse crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra very high (200, 0> 1); adipose-fin base very short (222, 2> 3).

Included species

Cryptarius daugueti Chevey, 1932 * sedis mutabilis Cryptarius truncatus Valenciennes, 1840.

Habitat and distribution: Brackish waters, South and Southeast Asia (Fig. 24).

Remarks

Cryptarius was established by Kailola (2004), and has been recognized as valid by both morphological (Marceniuk and Menezes 2007, Marceniuk et al. 2012) and molecular studies (Betancur-R. 2009), but without consensus on its relationships.