Genus Laonice Malmgren, 1867

Larval diagnosis.

Overall shape short, thick, and fusiform. Prostomium stumpy, rectangular, notched anteriorly. Lateral parts of peristomium clearly demarcated from prostomium. The short palps attached to outer end of lateral parts of peristomium. Two pairs of red eyes present. Melanophores and pigmentation absent except eyes. Nototrochs absent. Gastrotrochs occur in all chaetigers from chaetiger III onwards. Well-developed serrated larval chaetae occur both in noto- and neuropodia, notochaetae characteristically introverted toward medial line of dorsal side. Early larvae covered by egg envelope (Hannerz 1956; Plate and Husemann 1994).