1975  Surenitidae Ruzentsev & Bogoslovskaia: 52.
     1978  Surenitidae.-Ruzhentsev & Bogoslovskaia: 229.
     1980  Surenitidae.-Manger & Saunders: 46.

[Family Surenitidae herein regarded as subfamily of Family Reticuloceratidae].

Superfam. Gastrioceratoidea::

A:    Conch form variable, with broad whorl section and umbilicus. Early whorls commonly evolute.
B-D:  Shell smooth or sculptured. Transverse striae and constrictions, if present, with ventral sinus or salient.
G:   Prongs of ventral lobe relatively wide and pouched, its sides being curved or straight, but usually not divergent; median
saddle half as high or higher than entire ventral lobe. First lateral saddle rounded or subacute. Sutural formulae:
     [Germ.] (E1EmE1)ALUI,
     [Russ.] (V1V1)LU:ID.

Family Reticuloceratidae LIBROVICH, 1957

A:   Conch form subdiscoidal, moderately to completely involute; umbilicus wide to narrow.
B-C: Linear or biconvex growth lines, commonly crossed by longitudinal lirae thus forming reticulate ornamentation.
C:   Nodelike riblets and lateral plications in some forms.
E:   Ventrolateral furrows may be present.
G:   Suture-line relatively simple, in some forms with rounded elements. Prongs of ventral lobe usually well developed, but less
pouched; median saddle usually about half as high as entire ventral lobe, or slightly higher. Advanced genera with wider
lateral lobe and generally attenuate lobes.

Subfamily Surenitinae RUZHENTSEV & BOGOSLOVSKAIA, 1975:

B-C: Reticulate ornamentation restricted to later growth stages. Umbilical tubercles common, disappearing on adult stages. Growth striae with ventral and lateral sinus; early stages display unregularly ramified riblets.
G:   Ventral lobe wide, median saddle relatively high.

[Melvilloceratidae comprise genera with advanced sutures].

[Family Surenitidae Ruzhentsev et Bogoslovskaya, 1978, p.229:
Conch subdiscoidal to subsphaericone.  Whorls moderately to completely involute.  Umbilicus moderately wide to tight.  Sculpture only radial at the beginning (no lirae), later becoming reticulate.  Umbilical proturbances (folds) are developed on early whorls which disappear with age.  Rib clusters appear from these.  Ribs form ventral and lateral sinuses, which are separated by a salient, the height of which is usually not great (no tongue).  Ventral lobe not very wide in the beginning, but may widen, as the prongs also, with time  (w/h = 0.90 - 1.30).  Median saddle not high (saddle height / lobe height = 0.55 - 0.60).

Comparisons: The family is distinguished from Homoceratinae by comparatively small conch form, lack of keel, completely different sculpture (ribs instead of lamellae). In surenitids always umbonal tubercles are present, sometimes restricted to earlier growth stages, later as in homoceratids rarely and differently. Distinguished from decoritids by irregular two- and three-folg dichotomies, later  appearance of reticulate sculpture and mainly progressive development of the ventral lobes.