Astrodoradinae Higuchi, Birindelli, Sousa & Britski, 2007

Astrodoradinae Higuchi, Birindelli, Sousa & Britski, 2007: 33 [type genus: Astrodoras].

Included taxa. Amblydoras, Anadoras, Astrodoras, Hypodoras, Physopyxis, and Scorpiodoras.

Diagnosis. The subfamily Astrodoradinae is diagnosed by the following characters: adipose fin short, thin and teardrop-shaped (#5: 1>2, also present in Acanthodoras, Agamyxis, Anduzedoras, Doras, Hassar, Hemidoras, Leptodoras, Nemadoras, Ossancora, Tenellus, and Trachydoras, and in some non-Doradidae catfishes), posterior process of epiotic mainly ossified (#85: 1>2, also present in Pterodoras, Rhynchodoras and fimbriate-barbel doradids, and in some non-Doradidae catfishes), infraorbital 1 participating in orbital margin (#97: 0>1, present also in Acanthodoras, Agamyxis, Lithodoras, and Pterodoras, and in some non-Doradidae catfishes), posterior cleithral process with spines arranged in one main row accompanied by secondary rows (#268: 1>2, also present in Acanthodoras), ventroposterior margin of coracoid thick, visually exposed (#272: 0>1, also present in Acanthodoras, Agamyxis, Hemidoras, Megalodoras, Ossancora, and Trachydoras paraguayensis and T. steindachneri, and in some non-Doradidae catfishes).

Remarks. The results of the present analysis indicate the inclusion of Acanthodoras and Agamyxis in the Astrodoradinae. However, since these findings contradicts the results obtained by Higuchi (1992), Higuchi et al. (2007), Moyer et al. (2004) and Arce et al., (2013), it is yet premature to transfer these two taxa into Astrodoradinae. These two genera are herein considered as incertae sedis in Doradidae, until more data are available to determine their phylogenetic position. The Diagnosis presented herein for Astrodoradinae includes all characters supporting the clade that comprises all examined species of Astrodoradinae plus Acanthodoras and Agamyxis.