B R E V I R A Museum of Comparative Zoology us ISSN 0006 9698 Cambridge, Mass. 29 August 1986 Number 487 THE IDENTIFICATION OF l.XR\ AlL PARASUDIS (TELEOSTEl, CHLOROPHTHALMIDAE); WITH NOTES ON THE ANATOMY AND RELATIONSHIPS OF AULOPIFORM FISHES Karsten E. Hartel and Melanie L. J. Stiassny' Abstract. Larvae and transforming individuals of Parasudis are identified and described for the first time. The phylogenetic integrity of the family Chlorophthalmi-dae is investigated and restricted to the sistergenera, Parasudis and Chlorophthal-mus. Two derived morphological characters support the monophyly of an extended Ipnopidae which now includes the genus Bathysauropsis. The "rostral cartilages" in aulopiform fishes are reviewed and the homology of these and associated structures throughout the lower Neoteleostei is questioned. INTRODUCTION Parasudis truculenta (Goode and Bean, 1895) is a relatively com-mon offshore fish found from off northern New England to equato-rial Brazil. Adult specimens have been taken only in bottom trawls at depths of ca. 180 to 480 m, but dietary studies suggest that Para-sudis moves off the bottom to feed in midwater (Mead 1966). The species is hermaphroditic, and ripe specimens have been collected from February to May (Mead 1960). Neither the eggs nor the larvae of this species have yet been described (Okiyama 1984). The purpose of this paper is to describe larval and transforming Parasudis, and to comment on aspects of anatomy and relation-ships. There is considerable confusion in current literature regarding 'Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Order of authorship is alphabetical. ''*; SEP 1<
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