Synchrotron Microtomographic Osteology of the Chinese Subterranean Catfish: Description and Systematic Analysis

Dr. You He appreciates Prof. Meeman Chang (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China) for motivating his curiosity about fish bones. We thank Dr. Guanghui Xu (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China), Dr. Huaqiao Zhang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China) for their assistance in cladistic analyses using PAUP software. We thank Mr. Jiahu Lan (Du'an Fisheries Technology Extension Station, Du'an, China), Dr. Ziming Chen (Yunnan University, Kunming, China), Dr. Zuogang Peng (Southwest University, Chongqing, China), Dr. Deshou Wang (Southwest University, Chongqing, China), Mr. Shuwei Liu (Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China), Dr. Xiaoyong Chen (Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China), Dr. E. Zhang (Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China) for loaning specimens or permitting us examine the specimens under their cares. We thank Dr. Gloria Arratia (University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA), Dr. Heok Hee Ng (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Dr. Neelesh Dahanukar (Shiv Nadar University, Delhi, India), Dr. Yaoguang Zhang (Southwest University, Chongqing, China), Dr. Haitao Zhao (Huaiyin Normal University, Huai-an, China), Dr. Wansheng Jiang (Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China) for transferring the related literature. The microtomographic skeletons marked with star are from MorphoSource.org, Duke University.