The cephalic and pectoral girdle structures of Schilbe mystus are described and compared with those of other schilbids, as well as several other non-schilbid cat shes, as the foundation for a discussion on the monophyly and the phylogenetic relationships of the Schilbidae. Our observations and comparisons suggest that the family Schilbidae is a monophyleticgroup, de ned, at least, by three au...