Arius (fish)

Last updated

Arius
Temporal range: CampanianPresent
Arius falcarius Mintern 106.jpg
Arius arius
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Ariidae
Subfamily: Ariinae
Genus: Arius
Valenciennes in G. Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840
Type species
Pimelodus arius
Hamilton, 1822
Species

See text

Synonyms

Arius is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Ariidae. The genus Arius is distributed in brackish and fresh waters of Eastern Africa and south to Southeast Asia. [1]

Defining the limits so that Arius can form a natural grouping has always been a problem. The genus was never properly defined, and many species previously classified in Arius are now in other genera. Recent authors have recognized this genus as nonmonophyetic, rejecting that the genus is a natural grouping. Two unnamed groups are distinguished by accessory tooth plates, which are either very elongated and bearing molar-like teeth, or are oval shaped or subtriangular and bearing acicular (needle-like) or conic teeth. [1] A. jatius lacks these tooth plates, but has been included in this genus based on its adipose fin and lateral line. [1] The recognition of Arenarius as a junior synonym of Arius is tentative and needs to be further investigated. [1]

Arius species have three pairs of barbels, including the fleshy and cylindrical maxillary barbels and two pairs of mental barbels. The base of the adipose fin is moderately long, about half the length of the base of the anal fin. [1]

Species

Currently, 23 living species are recognized for this genus. [2]

In addition, a fairly extensive fossil record exists, encompassing several species, but mainly represented by otoliths.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stream catfish</span> Family of fishes

The stream catfishes comprise the family Akysidae of catfishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariidae</span> Family of fishes

The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. The family includes about 143 species.

<i>Glyptothorax</i> Genus of fishes

Glyptothorax is a genus of catfishes order Siluriformes of the family Sisoridae. It is the most species-rich and widely distributed genus in the family with new species being discovered on a regular basis. These species are distributed in the Black Sea basin, northern Turkey, south and east to the Yangtze River drainage in China and south throughout Indo-China to Java, Indonesia. They are found in Asia Minor and southwards to Southeast Asia. The genus is very diverse in the Indian subcontinent. Southeast Asian species tend to have restricted distributions.

<i>Akysis</i> Genus of catfish

Akysis is the largest genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae.

<i>Auchenipterichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Auchenipterichthys is a genus of driftwood catfishes found in South America.

<i>Hemibagrus</i> Genus of fishes

Hemibagrus is a genus of catfishes of the family Bagridae.

<i>Mystus</i> Genus of fishes

Mystus is a genus of fish in the family Bagridae native to Asia. Phylogenetic relationships within this genus are poorly understood, though it has been suggested that there are two major lineages.

<i>Sisor</i> Genus of fishes

Sisor is a genus of catfishes native to Asia.

<i>Cathorops</i> Genus of fishes

Cathorops is a genus of catfishes in the family Ariidae found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These species are found in the eastern and western Central and South America in brackish and freshwater habitats. This genus is a strongly supported clade of this family. It consists of a natural group in which the monophyly is well-defined by morphological and molecular evidence and the genus probably includes several unrecognized species from both American coasts.

<i>Pseudacanthicus</i> Genus of fishes

Pseudacanthicus is a genus of medium to large-sized suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America, where found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas. They are primarily found in fast-flowing waters, sometimes relatively deep. They are sometimes kept in aquariums.

Parakysis is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes six species.

<i>Acrochordonichthys</i> Genus of catfish

Acrochordonichthys is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes ten species.

<i>Galeichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Galeichthys is a genus of sea catfishes in the family Ariidae, the only genus in the subfamily Galeichthyinae. It includes four predominantly marine species distributed in Southern Africa and northwestern South America:

Amissidens hainesi, the ridged catfish, is the only species of catfish in the genus Amissidens of the family Ariidae. This species occurs in marine and brackish waters on the southern coast of New Guinea and Northern Australia, between Darwin and southern Gulf of Carpentaria.

Amphiarius is a genus of sea catfishes of the family Ariidae. It includes two species, the Kukwari sea catfish, A. phrygiatus, and the softhead sea catfish, A. rugispinis.

Ompok is a genus of fish in the family Siluridae found in lakes and large rivers throughout South and Southeast Asia.

<i>Arius manillensis</i> Species of fish

Arius manillensis is a species of marine catfish endemic to the island of Luzon, Philippines. It is commonly known as the sea catfish, Manila sea catfish or kanduli. It is fished commercially.

The sand catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Johannes Peter Müller and Franz Hermann Troschel in 1849, originally under the genus Bagrus. It is found in subtropical brackish and marine waters in the western Pacific, including China Taiwan, and possibly the Philippines. It reaches a maximum standard length of 29 cm (11 in).

<i>Neoarius graeffei</i> Species of fish

Neoarius graeffei, or blue salmon catfish, is a species of catfish found in freshwater rivers of Australia and Papua New Guinea. This species is most identifiable by its large, shark-like dorsal fin that is led by a poisonous spine. Like other catfish, the blue salmon catfish is known to use electrical pulses to sense prey in the water. This prey sensing mechanism may be the reason that these catfish are known to eat the land dwelling hopping mouse at a high rate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Marceniuk, Alexandre P.; Menezes, Naércio A. (2007). "Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera" (PDF). Zootaxa . 1416: 1–126.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). Species of Arius in FishBase . December 2011 version.