Genera of Paralepididae — HARRY 
225 
Fig. 5. Genotype of Magnisudis {M. harysoma, n. sp., paratype, 510 mm. in standard length, from off Lower 
California). 
tidium and Notolepis, and the drawing of rela- 
tionships along lines somewhat different than 
those given by Ege. 
There is no doubt that Sudis is unique and 
remote from the other barracudinas, and there 
may be some question whether this genus 
even belongs in the same family with them. 
Siidis is distinguished from all other parale- 
pidids primarily by lack of a foramen in the 
premaxillary and by other osteological pecu- 
liarities, by the unique mandibular dentition, 
by the reduction of the anterior nostril to a 
minute pore in adults, by the presence of 
scales only on the preopercles, and by the 
different larval development, particularly of 
the pectoral fins (Ege, 1930: 6). Despite these 
differences, it is believed that family relation- 
ships within the suborder Alepisauroidea can 
best be shown by retaining Sudis in the Para- 
lepididae. The family would then be divided 
into the subfamilies Paralepidinae and the 
monotypic Sudinae. The Sudinae most closely 
resemble the genus Lestidium in gillraker struc- 
ture, lack of body squamation, lateral-line 
form, and other characters. 
The subfamily Paralepidinae falls into two 
basic generic subdivisions, ^hich are sepa- 
rated in part by the characters given in Ege’s 
key (1930: 7) to separate "Groups I and IT’ 
of Paralepis. The most obvious differences 
between the main groupings are that all spe- 
cies in division I are scaled as adults and have 
numerous teeth in two or more rows on each 
gillraker and that those of division II are 
scaleless as adults and have a few teeth in one 
row on each gillraker. This classification cuts 
across Ege’s system. His groups I and II of 
Paralepis are apparently only remotely related. 
representing groups of genera that might be 
designated as tribes (e.g., Paralepidini and 
Lestidiini) . 
In determining the relationships within the 
family, the following characters are probably 
primitive and apparently trace back into the 
stock now represented by the Chlorophthal- 
midae and Aulopidae, the two most general- 
ized families in the order Iniomi: short and 
massive head; completely scaled body; lack 
of nonossified prolongation on the lower jaw 
or snout; large eye far forward; tiny fixed 
teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palatines; lack 
of or slight development of an anterior for- 
amen in the premaxillary; hyoid apparatus 
extending far forward, with gillrakers strongly 
developed on all five arches; simple lateral- 
line tube and unmodified lateral-line scales; 
low number of dorsal and anal rays. 
Such characteristics are approached to a re- 
markable degree by a new species in a new 
genus, Magnisudis harysoma. The conservative 
Magnisudis has a short, broad, massive head 
and snout, a moderately short, heavy body. 
The eye is large. The teeth on the jaws are 
minute; this species is the only paralepidid 
with teeth on the vomer in the adult. The 
supramaxillary is free at its posterior end. The 
gillrakers are reduced to flat bases armed with 
4 long filaments (it is of interest that this type 
of gillraker is unique to Magnisudis within 
the Paralepididae and is known in only one 
other family of the Iniomi, the Alepisauridae) . 
The gillrakers on the first arches extend far 
forward on each side of the tongue into the 
anterior part of the mouth. The tip of the 
tongue is far forward, near the symphysis of 
the lower jaw. The lateral-line structure is the 
