Genus Rhynchospio Hartman, 1936

Larval diagnosis.

Overall body shape short and thick. Prostomium broad and straight or slightly notched anteriorly. Lateral parts of peristomium clearly demarcated from prostomium. Palps attached to outer end of lateral parts of peristomium. Two pairs of red or black eyes present. Faint yellow pigment may be present in anterior part of prostomium and posterior part of pygidium. In late larvae, pair of prominent antero-lateral processes on prostomium developed. Melanophore absent, black or yellowish pigmentation occur in some species. Nototrochs weakly developed, occur in all chaetigers except first chaetiger. Gastrotrochs occur regularly in every other chaetiger from chaetiger III onwards (Carrasco 1976; Radashevsky 2007).