Rhinothelepus Hutchings, 1974

Hutchings, Pat, Nogueira, João Miguel Matos & Carrerette, Orlemir, 2015, Telothelepodidae, Thelepodidae and Trichobranchidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 240-274 : 243

Genus Rhinothelepus Hutchings, 1974

Rhinothelepus Hutchings 1974: 192 –193, figs 6A, B.

Type-species. Rhinothelepus lobatus Hutchings, 1974 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Transverse prostomium attached to dorsal surface of upper lip; basal part with eyespots; distal part low, restricted to base of upper lip, mid-dorsal process frequently present, elongate, attached to the upper lip basally, distally free. Buccal tentacles all uniformly cylindrical. Peristomium forming lips, continuing dorsally in some species as narrow annulation, with nuchal organs as a thin ciliate row on anterior margin; upper lip large, distinctly longer than wide, frequently highly convoluted; lower lip also expanded, extending across entire ventrum, segment-like, with deep corrugations, to cushion-like. Two pairs of branchiae on segments 2–3, each pair with numerous independent curled filaments, progressively tapering to tips. Anterior body highly glandular ventrally, swollen. Notopodia beginning from segment 3, extending for 15 segments; winged or bayonet-like chaetae in anterior row, changing types from anterior (bayonet) to posterior (winged) segments with notopodia, posterior row with narrowly-winged chaetae throughout. Neuropodia beginning from segment 8; uncini with conspicuous prow, dorsal button closer to tip of uncini in relation to base of main fang (anterior to middle third of uncini), and crest with 2–3 rows of secondary teeth. Nephridial and genital papillae usually present, posterior to bases of notopodia of segments 5–7. Pygidium smooth to slightly crenulate.

Remarks. Except for R. occabus Hutchings, 1990 , described from Hong Kong, this genus is known only from Australia. The type species, R. lobatus Hutchings, 1974 , was described from Wallis Lake, New South Wales, R. macer Hutchings, 1977 , from Moreton Bay, Queensland, and R. buku Hutchings, 1997a , from Melville Bay, Northern Territory.

The most important characters to distinguish among the species in this group are the presence of a mid-dorsal prostomial process, the extension and morphology of upper and lower lips, number of branchial filaments and the morphology of bayonet-like chaetae, either slender or with wings terminating by bulbous subdistal “head”. Uncini seem to be very conservative in this genus, with similar morphology in all species.