Phorozooids and gonozooids barrel-shaped, with 8 nearly hoop-like muscles. Muscles narrow, especially M1, M6, M7, and M8. M1 through M4 and M8 forming complete bands, whereas M5, M6, and M7 are interrupted. M5 running obliquely from the postero-ventral to the antero-dorsal side, turning backwards for a short distance and then running obliquely to the postero-ventral side. This part of each side represents M6, which lies parallel to M5. Thus, M5 and M6 are discontinuous, across either the mid-dorsal or mid-ventral line. Each of the ventral ends of M7 is external to M6 on the sides of the body. There are two narrow and short connecting muscles between M4 and M5, one on each side of the body. Another narrow longitudinal muscle connects M3 and M4 along the mid-ventral line. Endostyle extending from just behind M2 to M43/4. Neural ganglion before M3. Gill-septum extending dorsally to M5 and ventrally to M41/3, its posterior bend located above the junction of M6 and M7. About 30-50 pairs of gill-slits. Ovary and testis antero-ventral to the alimentary organs. Krüger (1939) showed a ventrally continuous M6, whereas it was interrupted in Tokioka and Berner’s (1958a) material. Godeaux and Meurice (1978) concluded from their material that, although this muscle seemed to be ventrally continuous, it was interrupted by a fibrous tract connecting both branches of M6. Krüger (1939) showed the longitudinal ventral muscle between M2 and M3, whereas Tokioka and Berner (1958a), Godeaux and Meurice (1978) and Godeaux (1996) showed it between M3 and M4. No other forms of the life cycle are known.
Genus treated:
Genus Doliopsoides Krüger, 1939