Aceroichthys gen. nov.

(Figs 1– 3, 38E, 39)

Type species: Arius dioctes Kailola, 2000 .

Diagnosis

Posterior branches of mesethmoid very long, delimiting one-half of length of anterior cranial fontanel (8, 0> 2); lateral horn of lateral ethmoid variable length and laterally oriented (12, 1> 0); posterior branch of lateral ethmoid depressed (13, 0> 1); lateral expansions of orbitosphenoid and pterosphenoid absent (64, 1> 0); parasphenoid very wide in ventral view (66, 0> 1); exoccipital posterior process not supporting Müllerian ramus (94, 1> 0); premaxilla wide and short, its length more than four times in width (120, 1> 0); anteroventral portion of opercle subtrapezoidal, very long (127, 1> 0); no more than one-half of posterior part of interopercle contacting ventral margin of opercle (131, 1> 0); posterolateral processes of urohyal almost as long as distal portion of bone (162, 2> 0).

Etymology

Named after the Colombian ichthyologist Arturo Acero P. (b. 1954) to honour his valuable contributions to ariid taxonomy. Gender: masculine.

Included species

Aceroichthys dioctes Kailola, 2000 .

Habitat and distribution: Fresh and brackish waters, southern New Guinea and northern Australia (Fig. 38).

Remarks

Aceroichthys is established based on morphological and molecular evidence to accommodate Aceroichthys dioctes, with phylogenetic relationships first reported in a molecular study (Betancur-R. 2009).