POLYCHAETE WORMS, PART 1 145 



Autolytus prolifer (O. F. Muller, 1788b) 



Figure 40 



Autolytus ornaius Verrill, 1879, p. 170. — Not Proceraea ornata Verrill, 1873a. 



Autohtus varians (new name for A. ornatus, preoccupied) Verrill, 1881, p. 320, 

 pi. 12, fig. 8; 1882, p. 367.— Andrews, 1891a, p. 282.— Mensch, 19U0a, 

 p. 269, pis. 13-14; 1900b, p. 89.— Sumner, Osburn, and Cole, 1913, p. 615.— 

 Hartman, 1942b, p. 44, figs. 57-58; 1944a, p. 338, pi. 13, figs. 3, 7-10, pi. 25, 

 fig. 3; 1945, p. 16.— Miner, 1950, p. 296, pi. 97.— Pratt, 1951, p. 329, fig. 451. 



Autolytus 7nirabtlis Verrill, 1882, p. 367. 



Autolytus solitarius Webster and Benedict, 1887, p. 722, pi. 2, fig. 51, pi. 4, figs. 

 52-54.— TreadweJl, in Cowles, 1930, p. 342. 



Autolytus prolifer Southern, 1914, p. 43.— Fauvel, 1923, p. 311, fig. 119.— Thor- 

 son, 1946, p. 38, figs. 10-11.— Newell, 1954, p. 333.— Day, 1957, p. 75; 1900, 

 p. 318.— Banse, 1959, p. 435.— Clark, 1960, p. 18. 



Autolytus prolifera Hartman, 1959a, p. 200. 



Description. — Stem form (fig. 40a) length up to 20 mm., segments 

 up to 70; nuchal epaulettes rather inconspicuous, may extend on 

 setigers 3-4; second pair dorsal cii'ri similar in length to the 

 following; rest of dorsal cirri variable in length, some as long as the 

 body width; styles of dorsal cirri often appear to be divided into 

 two segments, a longer basal segment or basal cirrophore and a shorter 

 distal one; body pale, translucent, yellowish or peach colored, may 

 be transversel}^ banded with 2 narrow bands per segment, consisting 

 of orange-yellow to bluish grey granulations which may extend also 

 in the cirrophores of dorsal cu'ri; a transverse ciliated band con- 

 tinuing on the basal part of the dorsal cirri. 



Sexual buds produced in unisexual chains of 2 to 8 (females up 

 to 6 in a chain, males up to 8 in a chain). The parapodia of most 

 of the body become enlarged, massed with developing sex products. 

 Stolons formed by a proliferation of cells from a few segments, forming 

 crowded segments which gradually enlarge. The sexual buds are 

 proliferated posteriorly from the stem at a variable region usually 

 after setigers 32-38 (range of 19-65). 



First a terminal bud is formed and while it is maturing, young 

 stolons may be forming subterminally, forming chains of 2-8 or more. 

 The terminal bud may become completely developed with head 

 appendages fully formed, swimming setae formed, and body filled with 

 sex products. It may wiggle vigorously and lift itself from the 

 bottom, contrasting greatly with the crawling stem form to which 

 it is attached. 



Female stolons (fig. 406) with 2-4 prenatatory, 11-27 natatory, 

 1-6 postnatatory setigers; nuchal epaulettes inconspicuous; body 

 colorless or pale yellow; egg sac a single large sac which may be 

 somewhat pinched in the middle, with eggs tan, orange, or bright 

 red. Male stolons (fig. 40c) with 3 prenatatory, 17-25 natatory, 



