Betancurichthys gen. nov.

(Figs 1–3, 27)

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CF91C445- 9AA0-4852-8291-6F9FD57C9CD2.

Type species: Arius madagascariensis Vaillant, 1894 .

Diagnosis

Bony bridge formed by lateral ethmoid and frontal cylindrical and thin (16, 0> 1); frontal mesial laminar projection absent (23, 1> 0); posterior cranial fontanel formed by frontals and parieto-supraoccipital (25, 1> 0); otolith posterior margin rounded (74, 1> 0); dorsal crest of premaxilla beginning between lateral one-third or one-half of anterior margin (124, 0> 1); third basibranchial chalice shaped (168, 0> 1); dorsal-fin spine prolonged into filament (221, 0> 1).

Ambiguous optimization: Sesamoid bone I very long and subtriangular (145, 0> 1).

Etymology

Named after Colombian ichthyologist Ricardo Betancur-R. for his dedication to the knowledge of the taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography of marine catfishes. Gender: masculine.

Included species

Betancurichthys festinus Ng & Sparks, 2003 * sedis mutabilis Betancurichthys madagascariensis Vaillant, 1894 Betancurichthys uncinatus Ng & Sparks, 2003 * sedis mutabilis.

Habitat and distribution: Fresh and brackish waters, western Madagascar (Fig. 24).

Remarks

The genus Betancurichthys was established to accommodate species endemic to Madagascar, in the western Indian Ocean, corroborating molecular results presented by Betancur-R. (2009). Its inclusion in the Ariina is supported by the BI and ML analyses. The inclusion of Betancurichthys festinus and Betancurichthys uncinatus in the genus is provisional, based on the distribution and life habits of the species restricted to freshwater in Madagascar.