Kieffer in Kieffer and Thienemann, 1908
Body
Medium sized to large larvae up to 7 mm long. Living larvae have red-brown spots on the abdomen. The anterior parapods are separate. The two posterior parapods bear rows of claws. Procercus and two pairs of anal tubules present (Wiederholm, 1983; Moller Pillot, 1984b).
Head
The head length is 0.4 mm.
Antenna
The antenna consists of five segments. The blade is shorter than the flagellum. Lauterborn organs are conspicuous.
Mentum
The mentum has two median teeth and 6 pairs of lateral teeth. The ventromental plates are long. The beard is very large Diplocl cultriger mentum.
Labrum
The pecten epipharyngis consists of three short scales, SI is plumose and the premandible has two apical teeth (Wiederholm, 1983; Moller Pillot, 1984b).
Mandible
The mandible has an apical tooth and 4 inner teeth. The seta interna has plumose branches (Wiederholm, 1983).
Differential characteristics
The combination of the mentum with 2 median teeth and 6 pairs of laterals and the large beard are distinctive for Diplocladius Diplocl cultriger mentum.