Genus Diploexochus Brandt, 1833

Diploexochus Brandt, 1833: 492 .

TYPE SPECIES. — Diploexochus echinatus Brandt, 1833, by monotypy (see Schmidt & Leistikow 2004).

DIAGNOSIS. — Animals with endoantennal conglobation; roller (sensu Schmalfuss 1984) with spiny or tuberculate dorsum; pereonites 1-7 with one line of noduli laterales inserted on same line from lateral margins, near or over outer posterior tubercle; cephalon with rectangular frontal shield, strongly developed upwards, and slightly curved backwards, suprantennal line absent; pereonites 1-7 and pleonites 3-5 well developed, concave, and directed outwards; pereonite 1 epimera with schisma on posterior corners, lateral margin strongly grooved; pereonites 1-7 with ventral lobes and/or shallow ridges to fit pereonites epimera during conglobation; pleon outline continuous with that of pereonite 7; telson hourglass-shaped, distal portion slightly concave or convex, or straight; antennula of three articles; antennal flagellum of two articles, apical organ short; mandibles with molar penicil simple or semi-dichotomized, left mandible with 2+1 penicils, right mandible with 1+1 penicils; maxillula outer endite composed of 4+5-6 teeth, outer set apically entire; maxilla bilobate; maxilliped endite subrectangular bearing two short triangular setae plus medial seta; uropod protopod enlarged and flattened to fit space between pleonite 5 and telson, exopod short inserted near medial margin; pleopod 1-5 exopods with monospiracular pleopodal lungs.