Leodice Lamarck, 1818

Souza, Thaís Kananda Da Silva, Zapff, Luana, Christoffersen, Martin Lindsey & Zanol, Joana, 2024, Taxonomy of Leodice Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida, Eunicidae) from Northeast Brazil (Tropical Southwest Atlantic Ocean) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5492 (2), pp. 151-175 : 155

Genus Leodice Lamarck, 1818

Type species. Leodice antennata Savigny in Lamarck, 1818.

Diagnosis sensu Zanol & Budaeva (2021). Median, lateral antennae and palps present with regular or irregular articulations. Prostomium anteriorly steep truncate or round. Peristomial cirri present. Maxillae with four or five paired plates and one unpaired plate. Mandibles flat. Limbate chaetae, thin shafted pectinate chaetae, compound bidentate or tridentate falcigers, aciculae, and subacicular hooks present. Aciculae light or dark. Dark aciculae vary in color along body; anterior usually lightest but maintain similar color. Subacicular hooks light or dark, bidentate or tridentate. Lateral black dots between parapodia present or absent (sensu Zanol et al. 2014).

Remarks. The genus Leodice Lamarck, 1818 was revalidated by Zanol et al. 2014, and amended to represent a clade that includes the type species, L. antennata . Leodice includes species with five prostomial appendages, peristomial cirri, subacicular hooks and at least one of the following exclusive features: 1. regularly articulated prostomial appendages, 2. light bidentate or tridentate subacicular hooks or, 3. lateral black dots between parapodia. It shares with Eunice Cuvier, 1817 , Euniphysa Wesenberg-Lund, 1949 , Fauchaldius Carrera-Parra & Salazar-Vallejo, 1998 and Nicidion Kinberg, 1865 , five prostomial appendages, a pair of peristomial cirri, and dark subacicular hooks ( Zanol et al. 2014).