The taxon Pilargidae is considered to be a group of derived hesionid species. This view is supported by the fact that apparent pilargid-specific features also occur in a few hesionid taxa. The idea is also based on the hypothesis that the pilargid stem species evolved by early maturation ("progenetically") of a juvenile stage of a large-bodied hesionid species. Making use of all characters available and using a hesionid taxon as outgroup, a cladogram of all pilargid genera was constructed with the program HENNIG 86, vers. 1.5. it shows well developed prostomial appendages and separate biarticulated palps to be the plesiomorphic character states. The genera
Synelmis and
Litocorsa are newly defined. For phylogenetic systematic implications the pilargid taxa should be included in the Hesionidae.