Laonice parvabranchiata Radashevsky & Da Cunha Lana, 2009

Prostomium blunt, anteriorly truncate or rounded, anterior margin with entire anterior margin. Lateral horns present. Caruncle present, continuing back to chaetiger 11 (shorter in small individuals). Occipital antenna present. Nuchal organ long, extending back more than one segment, extending posteriorly to chaetiger 11. Eyes present; 2 eyes. 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 absent from many median and posterior chaetigers, last present on chaetiger 35. Dorsal branchiae continuous. Dorsal branchiae free and separate from notopodial lamellae throughout, all simple. First branchiae without process at base on anterior face. Dorsal branchiae longest on median chaetigers, decreasing in length anteriorly and posteriorly. Accessory branchiae arising from posterior part of notopodium absent. Ventral branchiae absent. Chaetiger 3 without filament at base of branchiae. Dorsal crests absent. Ventral crests absent. Chaetiger 1 notopodium present. Chaetiger 1 notochaetae present. Anterior setigers with 2 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 14–16 (to end of fragments, at least to chaetiger 42). 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 absent in all fragments. Neuropodial sabre chaetae present, in ventral-most positions, first on chaetiger(s) 27–29 (1–3 per tuft). 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:
Radashevsky, V.I., and Lana, P.C. 2009. Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) from South and Central America. Zoosymposia 2: 265-295.