Genus Spiophanes Grube, 1860

Spiophanes Grube, 1860; type-species: Spiophanes kroyeri Grube, 1860, by monotypy.

Morants Chamberlin, 1919; type-species: Morants duplex Chamberlin, 1919, by monotypy, junior synonym.

Diagnosis. Prostomium subtriangular, bell-shaped or rarely rounded, anterior margin never incised; frontal or lateral horns present or absent; eyes present or absent; occipital antenna present or absent. Nuchal organs as two ciliated bands along dorsum, differing in length but maximally extending to chaetiger 17, or as pair of dorsal loops not extending beyond chaetiger 6; metameric dorsal ciliated organs rarely present. Branchiae absent. Dorsal ciliated crests usually present. Body divided into three different regions: 1) Anterior region extending to chaetiger 4, with well developed parapodial lamellae; 2) Middle body region: from chaetiger 5 to last chaetiger bearing capillary chaetae rather than hooks in neuropodia (either chaetiger 13, 14 or 15 depending on species); chaetigers usually with parapodial glandular organs: organs on chaetigers 5–7(8) can exhibit a chaetal spreader of different types (see Meißner & Hutchings 2003), opening often absent on chaetiger 8, rarely absent on chaetigers 5–7; from chaetiger 9, gland opens as simple vertical slit; 3) Posterior region: indicated by presence of neuropodial hooks.

Ventrolateral intersegmental pouches present or absent between neuropodia. Chaetiger 1 with 1–2 conspicuous crook-like chaetae in neuropodium; otherwise neurochaetae in anterior and middle body region all capillaries, arranged in 1–2 rows; posterior region with quadridentate hooks, hood absent or present. Notochaetae all capillaries, in middle body region usually arranged in three rows; otherwise in two rows or in indistinct rows. Bacillary chaetae may be exposed from chaetigers 5–8. One to two ventral sabre chaetae usually from chaetiger 4, rarely from chaetigers 5 or 10, or sometimes not present until neuropodial hooks appear. Pygidium with two or more anal cirri.