Tricuspidalestes, Poll, 1967

Zanata, Angela M. & Vari, Richard P., 2005, The family Alestidae (Ostariophysi, Characiformes): a phylogenetic analysis of a trans-Atlantic clade, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 145 (1), pp. 1-144 : 113

AND TRICUSPIDALESTES )

The three genera of clade 36 share the five following synapomorphies:

220. One fin ray supported by posteriormost proximal radial of dorsal fin (char. 126, 0> 1).

221. Extrascapular absent (char. 127, 0> 1).

222. Narrow ring-like process of scapula forming anterior border of scapular foramen present (char. 136, 1> 0).

223. Supratemporal laterosensory canal absent (char. 158, 0> 1).

The following characters are ambiguously optimized for this clade:

224. Fourth infraorbital without laterosensory canal segment (char. 151, 0> 1). Either derived at this level and optimized as absent in Ladigesia and Lepidarchus in which the fourth infraorbital is absent and the character was coded as ‘-’, or an autapomorphy for Tricuspidalestes .

225. Fifth infraorbital without laterosensory canal segment (char. 152, 0> 1). Either derived at this level and optimized as absent in Ladigesia and Lepidarchus in which the fifth infraorbital is absent and the character was coded as ‘-’, or an autapomorphy for Tricuspidalestes .

Tricuspidalestes is the sister group to the clade consisting of Ladigesia and Lepidarchus . Tricuspidalestes caeruleus (Matthes) is defined by the following autapomorphy:

AD 1. Medial process on central portion of body of first rib present (char. 118, 0> 1).

The following character is ambiguously optimized as autapomorphy for this species:

AD 2. Relatively large inner row tooth proximate to dentary symphysis present (char. 88, 0> 1).