{{Short description|Family of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Amblydoras monitor.jpg | image_caption = ''Amblydoras monitor'' | taxon = Doradidae | authority = Bleeker, 1858 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision_ref = <ref name="Ferraris">{{cite journal|url=http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf|title=Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types|first=Carl J. Jr.|last=Ferraris|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1418|pages=1–628|year=2007|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1418.1.1 |access-date=2009-06-24}}</ref> | subdivision = ''Acanthodoras''<br/> ''Agamyxis''<br/> ''Amblydoras''<br/> ''Anadoras''<br/> ''Anduzedoras''<br/> ''Astrodoras''<br/> ''Centrochir''<br/> ''Centrodoras''<br/> ''Doraops''<br/> ''Doras''<br/> ''Franciscodoras''<br/> ''Hassar''<br/> ''Hemidoras''<br/> ''Hypodoras''<br/> ''Kalyptodoras''<br/> ''Leptodoras''<br/> ''Lithodoras''<br/> ''Megalodoras''<br/> ''Nemadoras''<br/> ''Orinocodoras''<br/> ''Ossancora''<ref name=Birindelli>{{cite journal|author=Birindelli, J.L.O. |author2= Sabaj Pérez, M. |year=2011|title= ''Ossancora'', new genus of thorny catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Doradidae) with description of one new species |journal= Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia|volume= 161|issue= 1 |pages= 117–152 |doi= 10.1635/053.161.0109 |bibcode= 2011PANSP.161..117B |url=http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/participants/profiles/Sabaj/pdfs/2011_Birindelli%26SabajPerez.pdf}}</ref><br/> ''Oxydoras''<br/> ''Physopyxis''<br/> ''Platydoras''<br/> ''Pterodoras''<br/> ''Rhinodoras''<br/> ''Rhynchodoras''<br/> ''Scorpiodoras''<br/> ''Tenellus''<ref name="Birindelli, J.L.O. 2014">Birindelli, J.L.O. (2014): Phylogenetic relationships of the South American Doradoidea (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes). ''Neotropical Ichthyology 12(3): 451–564''.</ref><br/> ''Trachydoras''<br/> ''Wertheimeria'' }}
The '''Doradidae''' are a family of catfishes also known as '''thorny catfishes''', '''raphael catfishes ''' or '''talking catfishes'''. These fish are native to South America, primarily the Amazon basin and the Guianas.
Doradids are omnivorous.<ref name="Milhomem">{{cite journal |last1=Milhomem |first1=Susana Suely Rodrigues |last2=de Souza |first2=Augusto Cesar Paes |last3=Nascimento |first3=Aline Lira do |last4=Carvalho |first4=Jaime Ribeiro Jr. |last5=Feldberg |first5=Eliana |last6=Pieczarka |first6=Julio Cesar |last7=Nagamachi |first7=Cleusa Yoshiko |journal=Genetics and Molecular Biology |volume=31 |pages=256–260 |year=2008 |doi=10.1590/S1415-47572008000200017 |title=Cytogenetic studies in fishes of the genera ''Hassar'', ''Platydoras'' and ''Opsodoras'' (Doradidae, Siluriformes) from Jarí and Xingu Rivers, Brazil|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Taxonomy== {{As of|2025}}, 31 genera and 106 species are in this family.<ref>{{Cof family|family=Doradidae |access-date=31 October 2025}}</ref> ''Wertheimeria'' is considered to be the sister taxon to all other doradids.<ref name="Eler">{{cite journal|title=The karyotypes of the thorny catfishes ''Wertheimeria maculata'' Steindachner, 1877 and ''Hassar wilderi'' Kindle, 1895 (Siluriformes: Doradidae) and their relevance in doradids chromosomal evolution|first=Eduardo S.|last=Eler|author2=Dergam, Jorge A. |author3=Vênere, Paulo C. |author4=Paiva, Lílian C. |author5=Miranda, Gabriela A. |author6= Oliveira, Alessandro A. |journal=Genetica|year=2007|volume=130|pages=99–103|doi=10.1007/s10709-006-0023-4|pmid=16897457|issue=1|s2cid=9573024 |url=http://www.locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/22345|url-access=subscription}}</ref> This family is monophyletic and contains the subfamilies '''Doradinae''', '''Astrodoradinae''' and '''Wertheimerinae'''.<ref name="Birindelli, J.L.O. 2014" />
The '''Astrodoradinae''' contain the genera ''Amblydoras'', ''Anadoras'', ''Astrodoras'', ''Hypodoras'', ''Physopyxis'', and ''Scorpiodoras''.
==Distribution== Doradids occur in most South American basins, though they are absent from the Pacific Coast drainages and from coastal drainages south of the Río de la Plata.<ref name="Eler"/> About 70% of the valid species occur in the Amazon basin; the Orinoco basin harbors about 22 species and ranks second in species richness.<ref name="Eler"/> Conversely, only two species of doradids have been described from Brazilian eastern coastal basins: ''Wertheimeria maculata'' from the Jequitinhonha and Pardo rivers and ''Kalyptodoras bahiensis'' from the Paraguaçu River.<ref name="Eler"/>
==Appearance and anatomy== Doradids are easily recognized by a well-developed nuchal shield in front of the dorsal fin, as well as well-developed bony lumps along the lateral line that form thorny scutes.<ref name="Higuchi">{{cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01446p042.pdf|title=''Merodoras nheco'', new genus and species from Rio Paraguay basin, Brazil (Siluriformes, Doradidae), and nomination of the new subfamily Astrodoradinae|first=Horácio|last=Higuchi|author2=Birindelli, José L. O. |author3=Sousa, Leandro M. |author4= Britski, Heraldo A. |journal=Zootaxa|volume=1446|pages=31–42|year=2007|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1446.1.3 |s2cid=86157696 |access-date=2009-06-24}}</ref> Also, doradids typically have three pairs of barbels (no nasal barbels), an adipose fin, and four to six rays on the dorsal fin with a spine on the anterior (first) ray.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite taxon|fotw5}}</ref> These fish are sometimes called "talking catfish" because of their ability to produce sound by moving their pectoral spine or vibrating their swim bladder.<ref name="Nelson"/> Sizes range from {{convert|3.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} SL in ''Physopyxis lyra'' to {{convert|120|cm|in|abbr=on}} FL and {{convert|20|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in ''Oxydoras niger''.<ref name="Eler"/>
==See also== *List of fish families
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons}} * [http://www.scotcat.com/articles/article58.htm The Family Doradidae or "Talking Catfishes"] Article on Scotcat.com by Chris Ralph
{{Taxonbar|from=Q796187}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Doradidae Category:Catfish of South America Category:Catfish families Category:Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker