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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. VII, April, 1953 
8. No prominent markings before eye. 
Anal rays 26-33* 9 
Prominent round black spot covering 
vertical finger-like projection immedi- 
ately before eye. Anal rays 33-49 
Subgenus Lestrolepis 
9. Origin of dorsal fin more than half a 
head length behind a vertical of pelvic 
fins. Anal rays 26-28 
Subgenus Lestidiops 
Dorsal fin over or nearly over pelvic fins, 
origin less than one third of a head 
length behind pelvic base. Anal rays 
28-33 Subgenus Lestidium 
Subfamily Paralepidinae 
Head and lower jaw moderately large. Pair 
of large nostrils on each side of snout. An- 
terior process of premaxillary with large cir- 
cular foramen. Teeth on mandibles, if present, 
slender, basally round, sometimes hastate, but 
never serriform. Dorsal fin with 9-14 (seldom 
14) rays. Pectoral fin moderately developed, 
not proportionately larger in younger stages. 
Pelvic fins with inner rays distinctly longer 
than outer rays. Scales, if present, never just 
restricted to preoperculum. 
Magnisudis new genus 
Figs. 5, 8, 11^ 
Recently, Dr. Carl L. Hubbs obtained two 
adults of scaled paralepidids a foot long from 
the stomachs of marlin and the great blue 
shark off Lower California. In addition, the 
California Division of Fish and Game ob- 
tained two adults approximately 20 inches 
long and some smaller examples from Califor- 
nia. Not only are these specimens the largest 
paralepidids known, but they represent the 
most generalized of the scaled barracudinas 
and are distinct in many important characters 
from all known genera. 
DIAGNOSIS: Body large and massive, mod- 
* Matsubara’s material oi" Lestidium japonicum" with 
35 anal rays (1941: 8) is not included, as it appears to 
be a new species and the description is not complete 
enough to place it in a subgenus. Probably it belongs 
to the subgenus Lestrolepsis. 
Fig. 8. Genotype of Magnisudis {M. barysoma, n. sp., 
paratype, 510 mm. in standard length, from off Lower 
California). A, Anterior part of snout: B, enlarged sec- 
tion of teeth on middle of premaxillary; c, anterior 
lateral-line scales; D, gillrakers on first arch; e, dorsal 
surface of tongue. (See explanation of morphological 
figures in text.) 
erately compressed. No carinae. Head large, 
conical, moderately compressed. Eye larger 
Pupil small, crescent or half-moon shaped, 
much smaller than lens. Snout massive. Nos- 
trils well before end of maxillary. Tip of lowe, 
jaw elevated. Upper jaw terminating well be- 
fore vertical from anterior border of eye.,; 
Supramaxillary long, approximately 0.33-0.5 ; 
as long as maxillary, curved and rod-shaped, > 
free from maxillary except at posterior inser- ^ 
tion. Teeth on lower jaw sparse or absent; if) 
present very short; all fixed. Teeth on upper ; 
jaw very tiny, closely spaced; fixed teeth in y 
saw-like row. Vomer toothless or with single 
median tooth. Teeth on palatines very short, 
