Preface -- Acknowledgement -- Contents -- 1. Catfishes: Introduction -- 1.1 PHYLOGENETIC POSITION WITHIN TELEOSTEI -- 1.2 CATFISH FAMILIES -- Family Akysidae -- Family Amblycipitidae -- Family Amphiliidae -- Family Andinichthyidae -- Family Ariidae -- Family Aspredinidae -- Family Astroblepidae -- Family Auchenipteridae -- Family Austroglanididae -- Family Baaridae -- Family Callichthyidae -- Family Cetopsidae -- Family Chacidae -- Family Clariidae -- Family Claroteidae -- Family Cranoglanididae -- Family Diplomystidae -- Family Doradidae -- Family Erethistidae -- Family Heteropneustidae -- Family Hypsidoridae -- Family Ictaluridae -- Family Loricariidae -- Family Malapteruridae -- Family Mochokidae -- Family Nematogenyidae -- Family Pangasiidae -- Family Pimelodidae -- Family Plotosidae -- Family Schilbidae -- Family Scoloplacidae -- Family Siluridae -- Family Sisoridae -- Family Trichomycteridae -- 1.3 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF HIGHER LEVEL PHYLOGENY OF CATFISHES -- 1.4 CATFISH, AN EXCEPTIONAL BIOLOGICAL GROUP -- 2. Methodology and Material -- 2.1 PHYLOGENETIC METHODOLOGY -- 2.2 DELIMITATION OF TERMINAL TAXA -- 2.3 MATERIAL, TECHNIQUES AND NOMENCLATURE -- 3. Phylogenetic Analysis -- 3.1 CHARACTER DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON -- Ventral Cephalic Musculature and Structures Associated with Mandibular Barbels -- Musculature Associated with Pectoral Girdle and Fins -- Neurocranium and Anterior Vertebrae -- Pectoral Girdle and Fins -- Facial Musculature -- Splanchnocranium -- 3.2 CLADISTIC ANALYSIS, DIAGNOSIS FOR CLADES, AND COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS HYPOTHESES -- Clade 1 (All Genera Excluding Diplomystes) -- Clade 2 (Diplomystes) -- Clade 3 (All Genera Excluding Diplomystes, Nematogenys, Trichomycterus, Hatcheria, Callichthys, Cogdoras, Scoloplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, L oricaria, Lith oxus).

Clade 4 (Nematogenys, Trichomycterus, Hatcheria, Callichthys, Corydoras, Scoloplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 5 (Nemafogenys, Trichomyctyerus, Hatcheria) -- Clade 6 (Nematogenys) -- Clade 7 (Trichomycterus, Hatcheria) -- Clade 8 (Callichthys, Cotydoras, Scoloplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 9 (Callichthys, Coqvdoras) -- Clade 10 (ScoIoplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 11 (ScolopIax) -- Clade 12 (Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 13 (Astroblepus) -- Clade 14 (Hypoptopoma, Ioricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 15 (Loricaria, Lithoxus) -- Clade 16 (All Genera Excluding Diplomystes, Nematogenys, Trichomycteru Hatcheria, Callichthys, Corydoras, Scoloplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus, Helogenes, Cetopsis, Hemicetopsis) -- Clade 17 (Helogenes, Cetopsis, Hemicetopsis) -- Clade 18 (Cetopsis, Hemicetopsis) -- Clade 19 (All Genera Excluding Diplomystes, Nematogenys, Trichomycterus, Hatcheria, Callichthys, Corydoras, Scoloplax, Astroblepus, Hypoptopoma, Loricaria, Lithoxus, Helogenes, Cetopsis, Hemicetopsis, Wallago, Silurus) -- Clade 20 (Wallago, Silurus) -- Clade 21 ( Helicophagus, Pangasius, Pseudeutropius, Schilbe, Laides, Ailia, Siluranodon, Cranoglanis, Amiurus, Ictalurus, Austroglanis, Ancharius, Anius, Genidens, Auchenoglanis, Chysichthys, Clarotes) -- Clade 22 (Helicophagus, Pangasius, Pseudeutropius, Schilbe, Laides, Ailia, Siluranodon) -- Clade 23 (Heiicophagus, Pangasius) -- Clade 24 (Pseudeutropius, Schiibe, Laides, Aiiia, Siiuranodon) -- Clade 25 (Pseudeufropius, Schilbe) -- Clade 26 (Laides, Ailia, Siluranodon) -- Clade 27 (Cranoglanis, Amiurus, Ictalurus, Austroglanis, Ancharius, Alrius, Genidens, Auchenoglanis, Chrysichthys, Clarotes) -- Clade 28 (Cranoglanis, Amiurus, Ictalurus) -- Clade 29 (Cranoglanis).

Clade 30 (Amiurus, Ictalurus) -- Clade 31 (Austroglanis, Ancharius, Arius, Genidens, Auchenoglanis, Chysichthys, Clarotes -- Clade 32 (Austroglanis) -- Clade 33 (Ancharius, Arius, Genidens, Auchenoglanis, Chrysichthys, Clarotes) -- Clade 34 (Ancharius, Arius, Genidens) -- Clade 35 (Arius, Genidens) -- Clade 36 (Auchenoglanis, Chrysichthys, Clarotes) -- Clade 37 (Chrysichthys, Clarotes) -- Clade 38 -- Clade 39 -- Clade 40 (Malapterurus, Mochokus, Synodontis, Centromochlus, Ageneiosus, Auchenipterus, Franciscodoras, Anadoras, Doras, Acanthodoras) -- Clade 41 (Malapterurus) -- Clade 42 (Mochokus, Synodontis, Centromochlus, Ageneiosus, Auchenipterus, Franciscodoras, Anadoras, Doras, Acanthodoras) -- Clade 43 (Mochokus, Synodontis) -- Clade 44 (Centromochlus, Ageneiosus, Auchenipterus, Franciscodoras, Anadoras, Doras, Acanthodoras) -- Clade 45 (Centromochlus, Ageneiosus, Auchenipterus) -- Clade 46 (Ageneiosus, Auchenipterus) -- Clade 47 (Franciscodoras, Anadoras, Doras, Acanthodoras -- Clade 48 (Anadoras, Doras, Acanthodoras) -- Clade 49 (Doras, Acanthodoras) -- Clade 50 (Rita, Bagrichthys, Hemibagrus, Bagrus, Microglanis, Pseudopimelodus, Heptapterus, Rhamdia, Goeldiella, Pseudoplatystoma, Hypophthalmus, Pimelodus, Calophysus) -- Clade 51 (Rita, Bagrichthys, Hemibagrus, Bagrus) -- Clade 52 (Bagrichthys, Hemibagrus, Bagrus) -- Clade 53 (Hemibagrus, Bagrus) -- Clade 54 (Microglanis, Pseudopimelodus, Heptapterus, Rhamdia, Goeldiella, Pseudoplatystoma, Hypophthalmus, Pimelodus, Calophysus) -- Clade 55 (Microglanis, Pseudopimelodus) -- Clade 56 (Heptapterus, Rhamdia, Goeldiella, Pseudoplatystoma, Hypophthalmus, Pimelodus, Calophysus) -- Clade 57 (Heptapterus, Rhamdia, Goeldiella) -- Clade 58 (Rhamdia, Goeldiella) -- Clade 59 (Pseudoplatystoma, Hypophthalmus, Pimelodus, Calophysus) -- Clade 60 (Hypophthalmus, Pimelodus, Calophysus).

Clade 61 (Pimelodus, Calophysus) -- Clade 62 -- Clade 63 -- Clade 64 (Chaca, Uegitglanis, Heteropneustes, Clarias, Heterobranchus, Cnidoglanis, Neosilurus, Plotosus, Paraplotosus) -- Clade 65 (Chaca) -- Clade 66 (Uegitglanis, Heteropneustes, Clarias, Heterobranchus, Cnidoglanis, Neosilurus, Plotosus, Paraplotosus) -- Clade 67 (Uegitglanis, Heteropneustes, Clarias Heterobranchus) -- Clade 68 (Heteropneustes, Clarias, Heterobranchus) -- Clade 69 (Clarias, Heterobranchus) -- Clade 70 (Cnidoglanis, Neosilurus, Plotosus, Paraplotosus) -- Clade 71 (Neosilurus, Plotosus, Paraplotosus) -- Clade 72 (Plotosus, Paraplotosus) -- Clade 73 (Parakysis, Akysis, Amblyceps, Liobagrus, Gagata, Bagarius, Glyptosternon, Glyptothorax, Erethistes, Hara, Aspredo, Bunocephalus, Xyliphius) -- Clade 74 (Amblyceps, Liobagrus) -- Clade 75 (Parakysis, Akysis) -- Clade 76 (Gagata, Bagarius, Glyptostemon, Glyptothorax, Erethistes, Hara, Aspredo, Bunocephalus, Xyliphius) -- Clade 77 (Gagata, Bagarius, Glyptostemon, Glyptothorax) -- Clade 78 (Glyptosternon, Glyptothorax) -- Clade 79 (Erethistes, Hara, Aspredo, Bunocephalus, Xyliphius) -- Clade 80 (Erethistes, Hara) -- Clade 81 (Aspredo, Bunocephalus, Xyliphius) -- Clade 82 (Bunocephalus, Xyliphius) -- Clade 83 (Amphilius, Paramphilius, Leptoglanis, Zaireichthys, Doumea, Phractura, Andersonia, Belonoglanis, Trachyglanis) -- Clade 84 (Amphilius, Paramphilius) -- Clade 85 ( Leptoglanis, Zaireichthys, Doumea, Phractura, Andersonia, Belonoglanis, Trachyglanis) -- Clade 86 (LeptogIanis, Zaireichthys) -- Clade 87 (Dournea, Phractura, Andersonia, Belonoglanis, Trachyglanis) -- Clade 88 (Phractura, Andersonia, BeIonogIanis, TrachygIanis) -- Clade 89 (Andersonia, BeIonogIanis, TrachygIanis) -- Clade 90 (Belonoglanis, Trachyglanis) -- 3.3 CHARACTER STATE CHANGES FOR INDIVIDUAL GENERA -- 3.4 RESULTS OF PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS: MAJOR OUTLINES.

4. Higher-level Phylogeny and Macroevolution of Catfishes: A Discussion -- 4.1 STRUCTURES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVEMENTS OF THE MANDIBULAR BARBELS -- 4.2 PECTORAL GIRDLE COMPLEX -- 4.3 ADDUCTOR MANDIBULAE COMPLEX -- 4.4 PALATINE-MAXILLARY SYSTEM -- 4.5 SUSPENSORIUM AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURES -- 4.6 ELASTIC SPRING APPARATUS -- 4.7 A DISCUSSION ON THE ORIGIN AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF CATFISHES -- Catfish Higher-level Phylogeny -- Physiology/Ecology -- Plate Tectonics -- Palaeobiogeography of Siluriforms and Other Ostariophysans -- Catfish Sister-group -- Molecular Clocks -- 5. Catfishes, Case Study for General Discussions of Phylogenetic and Macroevolutionary Topics -- 5.1 PRIMARY HOMOLOGIES, SECONDARY HOMOLOGIES, AND A PRIORI VERSUS A POSTERIORI EXPLANATIONS IN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY -- 5.2 HOMOPLASIES, CONSISTENCY INDEX, AND COMPLEXITY OF MACROEVOLUTION -- 5.3 FUNCTIONAL UNCOUPLINGS AND MORPHOLOGICAL MACROEVOLUTION -- 5.4 MYOLOGICAL VERSUS OSTEOLOGICAL CHARACTERS IN PHYLOGENETIC RECONSTRUCTIONS -- 5.5 ANALYSIS OF DISTINCT ANATOMICAL REGIONS IN PHYLOGENETIC RECONSTRUCTIONS AND THE CODING OF MULTISTATE CHARACTERS -- 5.6 APTATIONS, EXAPTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS IN MACROEVOLUTIONARY STUDIES -- 5.7 PARALLELISMS, CONVERGENCES AND CONSTRAINTS IN MACROEVOLUTION -- 5.8 CORDELIA'S DILEMMA, HISTORICAL BIAS AND GENERAL EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS -- 5.9 PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM, SPECIATION, LIVING FOSSILS AND MACROEVOLUTION -- References -- List of Abbreviations -- Index.