Phyllodoce (Phyllodoce) – Pleijel 1993b: 298 (partim; list of species).
Prophyllodoce Hartman, 1966: 187.
Aponaitides McCammon & Montagne, 1979: 363.
TYPE SPECIES. — Phyllodoce laminosa Savigny in Lamarck, 1818, by monotypy.
DIAGNOSIS. — Phyllodocids with prostomium with two oblong, tapered lateral antennae, median antenna usually reduced into a nuchal papilla. Four pairs of tentacular cirri, all oblong, tapered. Dorsal cirrophore without acicula; supracicular lobes blunt, as long as subacicular ones; ventral cirri medially widened. Pharynx with two regions; basal region usually completely covered by small round papillae, rarely with dorsal smooth areas.
1. Antennae and all tentacular cirri monomorphic, oblong, tapered............................................................ 2
— Antennae globular to conical; tentacular cirri dimorphic, segments 1-2 globular, cirriform on segment 3; dorsal cirri without aciculae; pharynx divided in two regions, basal region diffusely papillate, distal region minute, smooth................................................................................. Sphaerodoce Bergström, 1914 reinst.
2(1). Dorsal cirri with aciculae; pharynx with two regions, basal region with papillae multidentate.................................................................................................................................. Zverlinum Averincev, 1972 reinst.
— Dorsal cirri without aciculae; pharynx with two regions, basal region with papillae unarmed, rarely denticulate................................................................................................................................................................ 3
3(2). Basal pharynx region with smooth midventral surface, papillae unarmed, usually arranged in longitudinal rows..................................................................................................... Anaitides Czerniavsky, 1882 reinst.
— Basal pharynx region without smooth midventral surface, papillae usually unarmed, rarely arranged in rows......................................................................................... Phyllodoce Savigny in Lamarck, 1818 restricted.
REMARKS
As indicated above, Prophyllodoce Hartman, 1966, with P.hawaiia Hartman, 1966 as its type species, has its basal pharynx area as in Phyllodoce, but there is one pair of lateral short tubercles in addition to the first pair of tentacular cirri on segment 1. Hartman (1966) regarded these tubercles as additional cirri, and Fauchald (1977: 48) regarded them as papillae, and recognized Prophyllodoce in his key to genera. However, Uschakov (1972: 123) indicated that “the additional pair of tentacular cirri on the first segment are… projecting nuchal organs, observed in some species of the genus Phyllodoce ”. After this, it can be noted that the next statement by Uschakov was wrongly translated because due to the presence of everted nuchal organs, the genus cannot be justified. McCammon & Montagne (1979: 363) confirmed Uschakov conclusions, and that Moore (1909: 237) had referred to these structures as nuchal organs. Further, Pleijel (1991: 239, fig. 1 B) revealed the fine details of the everted nuchal organs, which have a marginal ciliary belt. On the other hand, Aponaitides McCammon & Montagne (1979) was regarded as a junior synonym of Anaitides by Pleijel (199 b); however, its type and only species, Phyllodoce hartmanae Blake & Walton, 1977 has papillae along the ventral surface of the pharynx basal region, and it must be included in Phyllodoce as herein restricted.