Arius (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Arius"
fossil_range = fossilrange|70.6|0
Early Maastrichtian to Present [cite journal
last = Sepkoski
first = Jack
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera
journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology
volume = 364
issue =
pages = p.560
publisher =
location =
date = 2002
url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class
doi =
id =
accessdate = 2008-01-08 ]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Ariidae
subfamilia = Ariinae
genus = "Arius"
genus_authority = Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840
type_species = "Pimelodus arius"
type_species_authority = Hamilton, 1822
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision =
*"?Ariodes Müller & Troschel, 1849
*"Pseudarius" Bleeker, 1862

"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.

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 non-monophyetic, rejecting that the genus is a natural grouping. Two un-named 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. "A. jatius" lacks these tooth plates, but has been included in this genus based on its adipose fin and lateral line. The recognition of "Arenarius" as a junior synonym of "Arius" is tentative and needs to be further investigated.

"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.

pecies

Species according to Marceniuk & Menezes, 2007.cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01416p126.pdf|title=Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera|first=Alexandre P.|last=Marceniuk|coauthors=Menezes, Naércio A.|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1416|pages=1–126|year=2007|format=PDF]

*"Arius acutirostris" Day, 1877
*"Arius africanus" Günther, 1867
*"Arius arenarius" (Müller & Troschel, 1849)
*"Arius arius" (Hamilton, 1822)
*"Arius brunellii" Zollezi, 1939
*"Arius burmanicus" Day, 1870
*"Arius caelatus" Valenciennes, 1840
*"Arius dispar" Herre, 1926
*"Arius festinus" Ng & Sparks, 2003
*"Arius gagora" (Hamilton, 1822)
*"Arius graeffei" (Hamilton, 1822)
*"Arius jatius" (Hamilton, 1822)
*"Arius jella" Day, 1877
*"Arius leptonotacanthus" Bleeker, 1849
*"Arius maculatus" (Thunberg, 1792)
*"Arius madagascariensis" Vaillant, 1894
*"Arius malabaricus" Day, 1877
*"Arius manillensis" Valenciennes, 1840
*"Arius microcephalus" Bleeker, 1855
*"Arius nenga" (Hamilton, 1822)
*"Arius oetik" Bleeker, 1846
*"Arius subrostratus" Valenciennes, 1840
*"Arius uncinatus" Ng & Sparks, 2003
*"Arius venosus" Valenciennes, 1840

Moved to new genus (Marceniuk & Menezes, 2007)

References