Doradoidea

Birindelli, José L. O., 2014, Phylogenetic relationships of the South American Doradoidea (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes), Neotropical Ichthyology 12 (3), pp. 451-564 : 533

Doradoidea Bleeker, 1858

Included taxa. Auchenipteridae and Doradidae .

Diagnosis. The Doradoidea is diagnosed by the following characters: bony suture between exoccipital and neural arch of complex vertebra (#82: 0>1, exclusive), dorsal surface of epiotic participating in cephalic shield (#83: 0>1, exclusive), infraorbital 1 strongly connected by lateral ethmoid (#95: 0>1, exclusive), hyomandibular crest for levator arcus palatini muscle weakly or well developed (#154: 0>1, reversed in most doradids, and present also in some non-Doradoidea catfishes), subpreopercle present (#168: 0>1, also present in some non-Doradoidea catfishes), seven to nine branchiostegal rays (#177: 0>1, also present in some non-Doradoidea catfishes), transformator process of tripus straight (#203: 0>1, exclusive), os suspensorium reduced in size (#204: 0>1, exclusive), Müllerian ramus modified with short thin base and distal flexible disc, latter connected to dorsal face of gas bladder (#205: 2>3, exclusive), posterior ramus of parapophysis of fourth vertebra absent (#210: 0>1, exclusive), parapophysis of fifth vertebra reduced in size or eventually absent (#211: 1>0, reversed in the doradid Leptodoras juruensis and in the auchenipterid Gelanoglanis ), anterior ribs articulated to the dorsal face of the parapophysis (#219: 0>1, exclusive), proximal end of ribs twisted (#220: 0>1, present also the Amphiliidae , Aspredinidae , and Sisoroidea ), anterior face of dorsal-fin spine with serrations (#242: 0>1, reversed in several auchenipterids, in the doradid Anadoras , and present also in some non-Doradoidea catfishes), mesocoracoid absent (#250: 0>1, also present in some non-Doradoidea catfishes), hypurals 3 and 4 fused, 5 distinct (#309: 2>1, also present in some other non-Doradoidea catfishes).