LEPIDASTHENIA CURTA. 61 



Lepidasthenia Malmgren. 



Annulata Polychaeta, 18G7, p. 15; Darboux, Bull. sci. France & Belgique, 1900, 30, p. 109. 

 Eumolpe Blainville, Diet. sci. nat., 1828, 57, p. 457 (in part). 



The most salient character of this genus consists in the great reduction of 

 the elytra, to which the name refers, through which the dorsum is in large 

 measure left naked, and in the rudimentaiy notopodium. The notopodial 

 setae, while usually wholly absent, may be present in much reduced size and 

 numbers in some species (L. irregularis Ehlers, L. argus Hodgson). The. char- 

 acteristic bifid apex of the setae so obvious in most species is present only in the 

 setae of the seventh somite in L. microlepis Potts. 



Key to Species. • 



o. Neuropodial setae equal in size throughout each fascia. 



b. Some notopodial setae present at least on the anterior parapodia L. irregularis Ehlers. 



6b. No notopodial setae on any of the parapodia. 



c. Elytra covering parapodia L. minikoensis Potts. 



cc. Elytra quite rudimentary, merely capping the elytrophores L. microlepis Potts. 



aa. Upper neuropodial setae conspicuously difl'erent in size from the lower ones. 



6. Upper neuropodial setae greatly enlarged L. elegans Grube. 



hb. Upper neuropodial setae more slender than the others. 



c. A few notopodial setae present on at least some of the parapodia L. argus Hodgson. 



cc. No notopodial setae on any of the parapodia. 

 d. Pairs of elytra above 25; littoral forms. 

 e. A distinct notopodial process on at least the more anterior parapodia. .L. curia, sp. nov. 

 ee. No trace of a notopodial process on any of the jjarapodia L. maculata Potts. 



Lepidasthenia curta, sp. nov.' 



Plate 5, fig. 4-9. 



The body is flattened above and more convex ventrally; below there is a 

 neural furrow and within this a distinct neural ridge. Inclusive of parapodia, 

 it is of uniform width over the middle region, being widest just caudad of middle, 

 but it narrows considerably both at the anterior and posterior end; the body 

 itself, with parapodia excluded, is widest anteriorly and narrowest caudad. The 

 total length of the type exclusive, of the protruded proboscis, is about 27.5 mm.;. 

 greatest width, exclusive of the parapodia, 2.25 mm.; to tips of parapodia and 

 exclusive of setae, 4.4 imn.; inclusive of setae, 6 mm. or a little more. The 

 number of somites is fifty-six. 



' curtu.s, short. 



