Kyataphisa gen. nov.

MP 100, BI 1, ML 100

(Figs 1– 3, 24E, 35)

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2981DCA4- DDB0-49A5-BE7A-6D05DD7E750.

Type species: Pimelodus nenga Hamilton, 1822 .

Diagnosis

Ambiguous optimization: Posterior branches of mesethmoid moderately long, delimiting between one-fourth and one-half of length of anterior cranial fontanel (8, 0> 1); fenestra delimited by lateral ethmoid and frontal very small or indistinct (17, 1> 0); pterotic mesial border with parieto-supraoccipital as long as anterior border with sphenotic (36, 1> 2); temporal fossa much reduced (39, 0> 1); accessory tooth plates small, vertically oval (60, 3> 2); exoccipital posterior process not supporting Müllerian ramus (94, 1> 0); lateral and mesial portions of premaxilla of different sizes (121, 0> 1); Müllerian ramus bone blade evident only basally (206, 2> 1); dorsal-fin spine prolonged into filament (221, 0> 1); second dorsal cleithral process posteriorly directed and parallel to posterior process (226, 1> 0).

Etymology

Kyataphisa is from the Bengali, meaning catfish.

Included species

Kyataphisa nenga Hamilton, 1822 .

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

Remarks

Kyataphisa is established to accommodate Kyataphisa nenga and a second species ( Kyataphisa aff. nenga) that was not examined in a previous morphological study (Marceniuk et al. 2012), corroborating a previous morphological study (as Arius caelatus in Marceniuk et al. 2012) and a molecular study (as Arius nenga in Betancur-R. 2009).