Autolytus varius Treadwell, 1914

Nygren, Arne, 2004, Revision of Autolytinae (Syllidae: Polychaeta)., Zootaxa 680, pp. 1-314 : 182

Autolytus varius Treadwell, 1914

Autolytus varius Treadwell, 1914: 237 –238, figs 4–7; 1922: 173–174, fig. 1–2; Berkeley & Berkeley 1938: 47 –48; 1948: 70, fig. 102.

Description. Epigamous female. Types do not exist ( Hartman 1956). Description from Treadwell (1914) if not otherwise stated. Length up to 30 mm ( Berkeley & Berkeley 1948), for 14+c.30+? chaetigers. Brownish pigments in all appendages. Ciliation not mentioned.

Prostomium wider than long, anterior margin slightly concave. Two pairs of eyes, anterior pair much larger. Palps small, in dorsal view not projecting in front of prostomium. Nuchal epaulettes not described.

Antennae about equal in size, length 5–6 times the prostomium. Dorsal tentacular cirri longer than antennae; ventral tentacular cirri 1/2 as long as dorsal pair. First dorsal cirri longer than dorsal tentacular cirri; cirri progressively smaller to chaetiger 9, posterior chaetigers with equal cirri. Fairly large cirrophores present on all dorsal cirri, as interpreted from illustrations ( Treadwell 1914: figs 4–6).

Parapodial lobes large, with dorsal part well­developed and extending further than ventral part in region b, and c ( Treadwell 1914: figs 4–6). Single neuropodial acicula; unknown number of notopodial acicula. Number of chaetae not mentioned. Compound chaetae with small distal tooth as interpreted from illustration ( Treadwell 1914: fig. 7), but this must be considered as very uncertain. Notopodial chaetal fascicle with c. 15 swimming chaetae.

Male unknown.

Distribution. North East Pacific, San Fransisco Bay.

Remarks. The known Epigamia on the western coast of USA includes E. magna , E. noroi , and E. alexandri . Of these E. magna is the only one that may be excluded as its parapodial lobes are much more developed with larger dorsal parts. The situation with many introduced species in the area around San Fransisco Harbor also complicates things further. Treadwell (1922) refers some epigamous specimens to this species collected at Friday Harbor (Washington) that may or may not be of the same taxon described from San Fransisco. In the figured specimen ( Treadwell 1922: fig. 1) the nuchal epaulettes reach the anterior half of chaetiger 4. Since the original description is not sufficiently good, and the types are lost, Autolytus varius is considered as Epigamia incertae sedis .