Nemapteryx
Creators: name: Alexandre P. Marceniuk
name: Naércio A. Menezes
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Siluriformes
Ariidae
Nemapteryx

description: Nemapteryx Ogilby, 1908
(fig. 65)
Nemapteryx Ogilby, 1908: 3, 10. Type species: Arius stirlingi Ogilby, 1898. Type by original designation and also monotypy. Gender: feminine.
Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other members of the Ariidae by the combination of the following shared characters: (1) mesethmoid posterior branches very long, limiting more than half of the anterior cranial fontanel [shared with Cathorops (with exception of C. dasycephalus)]; (2) lateral processes of vomer very wide (shared with Arius, Aspistor, Bagre, Batrachocephalus, Cinetodus, Galeichthys, Notarius planiceps, Osteogeneiosus, Pachyula, Plicofollis tenuispinis, P. platystomus, Potamosilurus and Sciades); (3) vomerine tooth plates present [shared with Aspistor, Bagre, Brustiarius, Cathorops dasycephalus, Cochlefelis, Galeichthys, Genidens (with exception of G. genidens), Hemiarius, Neoarius, Netuma, Notarius, Plicofollis (with exception of P. platystomus), Potamosilurus (with exception of P. velutinus) and Sciades]; (4) medial groove of neurocranium present [shared with Arius, Bagre, Batrachocephalus, Brustiarius, Carlarius, Cathorops, Cochlefelis, Cryptarius, Galeichthys, Genidens, Ketengus, Neoarius, Netuma, Notarius planiceps, Osteogeneiosus, Plicofollis, Potamarius, Potamosilurus (with exception of P. latirostris) and Sciades]; (5) face for articulation between palatine and lateral ethmoid at central portion of former bone (shared with Brustiarius, Cochlefelis, Galeichthys and Neoarius); (6) crest delimiting contact area between mesethmoid and premaxillary beginning at two thirds latero-anterior portion of former bone (shared with Arius, Bagre, Batrachocephalus, Cochlefelis, Hemiarius, Netuma and Potamosilurus velutinus).
Supplementary morphological characters. Cephalic shield granulated visible under the skin; lateral ethmoid and frontal limiting a large fenestra evident under the skin; medial groove of neurocranium very distinct, limited by frontal bones and/or on supraoccipital; posterior cranial fontanel well differentiated, large and oval shaped; fenestra limited by supraoccipital, pterotic and sphenotic absent; fossa limited by pterotic, supracleithrum and extrascapular relatively large; epioccipital not invading dorsal portion of cephalic shield; occipital process funnel shaped, moderately long, its posterior part conspicuously narrower than its base; anterior and median nuchal plates fused and indistinct, forming a structure of semi-lunar aspect; tooth plates associated with vomer round; accessory tooth plates present, bearing conical teeth; maxillary barbel fleshy and cylindrical; two pairs of mental barbels; base of adipose fin moderately long, about half as long as 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 short, distinct from second dorsal process of cleithrum.
Distribution and habitat. Southern New Guinea and northern Australia, marine and brackish waters.
description: Published as part of Alexandre P. Marceniuk & Naércio A. Menezes, 2007, Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera., pp. 1-126 in Zootaxa 1416 on pages 74-75