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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii 



ABSTRACT. 



.vu 



INTRODUCTION 1 



Historical Treatment of the Ageneiosidae 4 



METHODS 17 



GENERIC NOMENCLATURE 23 



Status oi Pseudageneiosus and Davalla 23 



Status oiTetranematichthys 25 



Status of Tympanopleura 29 



ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISONS 34 



Physiognomy 35 



Body Coloration 41 



Neurocranium 45 



Infraorbital and Laterosensory Canals 58 



Splanchnocranium 61 



Barbels 75 



Weberian Apparatus and Axial Skeleton 85 



Swimbladder 91 



Dorsal Fin 101 



Pectoral Girdle Ill 



Pelvic Girdle 116 



Anal Fin 120 



Caudal Skeleton 125 



Sexual Dimorphism and Reproductive Biology 130 



PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS 148 



Suprafamilial Relationships of Doradoid Catfishes 149 



Infrafamilial Relationships of the Auchenipteridae 



and Ageneiosidae 154 



Species Relationships of the Ageneiosidae 165 



DISTRIBUTION AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY 175 



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