Cryptarius

Alexandre P. Marceniuk & Naércio A. Menezes, 2007, Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera., Zootaxa 1416, pp. 1-126 : 54-55

Cryptarius Kailola, 2004

(fig. 42)

Cryptarius Kailola, 2004: 134. Type species: Arius truncatus Valenciennes, 1840. Type by original designation. Gender: masculine

Diagnosis. Cryptarius can be distinguished by the following exclusive (1 to 5) and shared (6 to 14) characters: (1) vomer arrow shaped; (2) epioccipital posterior process contacting median crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra; (3) anterior part of interopercle very long and pointed (fig. 43); (4) anterior part of metapterygoid contacting quadrate through an indented articulation, most of the remaining part of this bone simply contacting the quadrate (fig. 44); (5) posterior portion of second basibranchial very wide (fig. 45); (6) mesethmoid moderately thick at median portion (shared with Amphiarius , Arius caelatus , A. madagascariensis , Aspistor , Galeichthys , Genidens , Hemiarius , Nedystoma , Nemapteryx , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Plicofollis , Potamosilurus , Sciades assimilis , S. bonillai , S. felis , S. platypogon , S. sagor and S. seemanni ); (7) anterior part of anterior cranial fontanel indistinct, not limited by a mesial expansion of orbitosphenoid (shared with Galeichthys , Batrachocephalus , Cephalocassis , Doiichthys , Ketengus , Nedystoma and Nemapteryx ); (8) extrascapular subquadrangular [shared with Amphiarius , Aspistor , Carlarius , Cephalocassis , Cochlefelis , Doiichthys , Hemiarius , Nedystoma , Nemapteryx , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Potamarius izabalensis , Potamosilurus (with exception of P. velutinus ) and Sciades ]; (9) posterior projection of epioccipital process contacting a small portion of the diagonal crest associated with neural spine of fourth vertebra (shared with Amphiarius , Aspistor , Bagre , Cephalocassis melanochir , Cinetodus , Hemiarius , Notarius , Potamarius izabalensis and Sciades platypogon ); (10) ventral crest of occipital process restricted to its base [shared with Arius , Batrachocephalus , Brustiarius , Carlarius , Cochlefelis , Doiichthys , Galeichthys , Genidens , Ketengus , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Osteogeneiosus , Plicofollis , Potamarius , Potamosilurus and Sciades (with exception of S. platypogon )]; (11) wing-like process of parasphenoid absent (shared with Batrachocephalus , Cephalocassis , Doiichthys , Ketengus , Nedystoma , Nemapteryx , Osteogeneiosus and Potamarius ); (12) lateral processes of urohyal long (shared with Amphiarius , Arius , Aspistor , Bagre , Brustiarius , Carlarius , Cephalocassis melanochir , Cochlefelis , Doiichthys , Hemiarius , Nedystoma , Nemapteryx , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Plicofollis platystomus , Potamarius , Potamosilurus and Sciades ); (13) urohyal lateral processes almost as long as medial process (shared with Amphiarius , Brustiarius , Carlarius , Cephalocassis melanochir , Cochlefelis , Galeichthys , Hemiarius , Neoarius , Netuma bilineatus , Notarius , Potamosilurus and Sciades ); (14) crest associated with neural spine of third vertebra only slightly developed [shared with Arius , Batrachocephalus , Brustiarius , Carlarius , Cochlefelis , Doiichthys , Galeichthys , Genidens , Ketengus , Neoarius , Netuma , Notarius , Osteogeneiosus , Plicofollis , Potamarius , Potamosilurus and Sciades (with exception of S. platypogon )].

Supplementary morphological characters. Cephalic shield granulated visible under the skin; lateral ethmoid and frontal bones limiting a large fenestra clearly visible under the skin; medial groove of neurocranium very distinct, limited by frontal bones and/or on supraoccipital; posterior cranial fontanel moderately developed, long and narrow; fenestra limited by supraoccipital, pterotic and sphenotic absent; fossa limited by pterotic, supracleithrum and extrascapular very reduced; epioccipital not invading dorsal portion of cephalic shield; occipital process triangular, moderately long and wide, narrowing progressively toward its posterior end; anterior and median nuchal plates fused and indistinct, forming a structure of semi-lunar aspect; tooth plates associated with vomer absent; accessory tooth plates small transversely elongated and oval shaped, bearing conical teeth; maxillary barbels fleshy and cylindrical; two pairs of mental barbels; base of adipose fin very short, less than one-half the length of anal-fin base; lateral line not bifurcated at caudal region, reaching base of caudal-fin upper lobe; cleithrum narrow, with second dorsal process on its upper portion; posterior cleithral process moderately long and distinct from second dorsal process of cleithrum.

Remarks. No specimen of C. daugueti (Chevey, 1932) could be obtained for examination and data from descriptions available in the literature do not contain reliable information as to inclusion of the species into any of the genera we recognize. Thus, the inclusion of C. daugueti in Cryptarius is preliminary and based on Kailola’s (2004) results.

Distribution and habitat. South and southeast Asia, brackish waters.