Laonice blakei
Prostomium blunt, anteriorly truncate or rounded, anterior margin with entire anterior margin. Caruncle present, continuing back to chaetiger 10–11. Occipital antenna present. Nuchal organ long, extending back more than one segment, extending posteriorly to chaetiger 10–11. Eyes absent. Palps simple, lacking basal sheath. Dorsal ridge connecting bases of branchiae on chaetiger 1 absent. Prominent dorsal collar on setiger 2 absent. Dorsal branchiae present, first present on chaetiger 2. Dorsal branchiae continue to near posterior end of body or absent from many median and posterior chaetigers. Dorsal branchiae free and separate from notopodial lamellae throughout or partially or wholly fused with notopodial lamellae (on some or all chaetigers) (branchiae of last 5 pair fused basallyt to notopodial lamellae). First branchiae without process at base on anterior face. Dorsal branchiae longest on anterior-most chaetigers, decreasing posteriorly. Accessory branchiae arising from posterior part of notopodium absent. Ventral branchiae absent. Chaetiger 3 without filament at base of branchiae. Dorsal crests present, or absent (transverse dorsal ridge on the last branchial segment, disappear with branchiae). Ventral crests absent. Chaetiger 1 notopodium present. Anterior setigers with 3 rows of chaetae. Neuropodial lobe of chaetiger 2 rounded, approximately symmetrical. Neuropodial lobes of posterior chaetigers a single lobe. Interparapodial pouches present. Interparapodial pouches on chaetigers 3–17 (start of 3, finish on 7–17). Chaetigers 2–4 similar, not strongly differentiated. Chaetiger 5 unmodified, similar to subsequent chaetigers. Posterior modified notochaetae absent. Notopodial hooded hooks absent. Neurochaetae of chaetiger 1 simple capillaries similar to those of subsequent chaetigers. Neuropodial hooded hooks present, first present on chaetiger 15–23 (9–22 per fascicle). Neuropodial hooded hooks with accessory tooth or teeth above the main fang, multiple accessory teeth (more than 3) (5 teeth are visible, 1 large and 4 accessory). Shaft of neuropodial hooded hooks of constant thickness, lacking a constriction. Neuropodial sabre chaetae present, in ventral-most positions, first on chaetiger(s) 10–13 (two per fascicle at first, 4–5 three segments after, usually 1 after appearance of hooks). Neuropodial spines absent. Embedded bunches of notopodial needle chaetae absent. Pygidium unknown.
Description generated from: Wilson, RS & McDiarmid, H 2013. Spionidae (Polychaeta)- A DELTA database of genera, and Australian species. Version 2; originally published as In RS Wilson, PA Hutchings & CJ Glasby (eds) Polychaetes: An Interactive Identification Guide. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Additional references:
Sikorski, A.V., Jirkov, I.A., and Tsetlin, A.B. 1988. [The genus Laonice (Polychaeta, Spionidae) in the Arctic Ocean - Weighing the Taxonomic characters and species composition.]. Zoologichesky Zhurnal 67: 826-838.
Global distribution Arctic; distribution within Australia: Not known from Australia.
Slope.