Lepidonotus Leach, 1816

Valencia-Soto, David, 2021, Scale-bearing beauty: Intertidal scale-worms (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) from Punta Blanca (Arequipa, Peru), Zootaxa 5032 (2), pp. 151-194 : 154

Genus Lepidonotus Leach, 1816

Type species: Aphrodita clava Montagu, 1808 . Diagnosis (from Wehe (2006)). Body short with 26 segments, dorsoventrally flattened, subrectangular in cross section. Ceratophores of lateral antennae inserted terminally. Styles of antennae smooth, with or without subterminal swelling. Palps stout, conical, gradually tapering. Two pairs of eyes usually present. Tentaculophores usually with chaetae. Second or buccal segment with or without nuchal fold or nuchal nodules. Elytra 12 pairs on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, alternating to 23, usually large, covering dorsum completely; surface variably ornamented with tubercles, papillae, vesicles, spines, ridges, mounds, etc., or rarely smooth; margin with or without fringing papillae. Dorsal cirri usually with prominent bulbous or cylindrical cirrophore and smooth styles, with or without subdistal swelling. Notopodia small or inconspicuous. Neuropodia with pre- and postchaetal lobes of similar length. Notochaetae rarely absent, usually with numerous rows of spines and unidentate tips. Neurochaetae stouter than notochaetae, falcate, with few to many rows of spines subdistally below uni- or bidentate tips.