Gill-filament ossifications: a possible morphological synapomorphy uniting the families Balitoridae and Cobitidae (Ostariophysi: Cypriniformes).
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abstract
Ossifications associated with the gill filaments of members of the Balitoridae and Cobitidae are described for the first time. Although gill-filament ossifications are common in teleosts, similar ossifications were not observed in other members of the order Cypriniformes. Their presence is interpreted as a shared and derived character uniting the families Balitoridae and Cobitidae as a monophyletic group.