Nemapteryx Ogilby, 1908

MP 100, BI 1, ML 100

(Figs 1–3, 47)

Type species: Arius stirlingi Ogilby, 1898 .

Diagnosis (all of ambiguous optimization)

Posterior branches of mesethmoid narrow (6, 0> 1); posterior branches of mesethmoid parallel throughout (7, 0> 1); 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 large (17, 1> 2); frontal mesial laminar projection absent (23, 1> 0); anterior portion of anterior cranial fontanel not delimited by dorsal expansion of orbitosphenoid (24, 1> 0); posterior cranial fontanel very wide and long (27, 1> 3); tooth plates associated with vomer present (55, 0> 1); lateral expansions of orbitosphenoid and pterosphenoid absent (64, 1> 0); optic foramen very reduced (67, 1> 2); ventral tip of subvertebral process spatulate (80, 2> 3); contact face for articulation of transcapular process with basioccipital large and depressed (85, 0> 1); transcapular process very short and thick (87, 2> 1); articulation of autopalatine with lateral ethmoid in middle of bone (111, 2> 1); premaxilla wide and moderately long, its length more than three times its width (120, 2> 1); dorsal crest of premaxilla beginning between lateral one-third or one-half of anterior margin (124, 0> 1); metapterygoid anterior process acute (138, 1> 0); dorsal crest of hyomandibula short and high (141, 0> 1); second basibranchial mushroom shaped (166, 0> 1); distal portion of uncinate process of third epibranchial truncate (183, 0> 1); Müllerian ramus bone blade inconspicuous (206, 2> 0); dorsal-fin spine prolonged into a filament (221, 0> 1); cleithrum lateral face very narrow (227, 0> 1).

Included species

Nemapteryx armiger De Vis, 1884 .

Nemapteryx aff. armiger .

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

Remarks

The total-evidence analysis supports the morphological and molecular distinctiveness of Nemapteryx (Marceniuk and Menezes 2007, Marceniuk et al. 2012), with the addition of a currently unnamed species from New Guinea (Betancur-R. 2009).