Autolytus bondei Day, 1934

Nygren, Arne, 2004, Revision of Autolytinae (Syllidae: Polychaeta)., Zootaxa 680, pp. 1-314 : 183-184

Autolytus bondei Day, 1934

Autolytus bondei Day, 1934: 37 –38; 1967: 285;?Amoreux et al. 1978: 117, fig. 9.

Description. Type material do not exist. Description from literature ( Day 1934). Length 12 mm for 53 chaetigers, width 2 mm. Body short, broad, venter flattened. Preserved specimens yellowish; eyes red­brown. Ciliation not mentioned.

Prostomium wider than long, with 2 pairs of eyes, anterior pair larger. Eyes large, almost confluent; eye spots not mentioned. Palps short, fused at base, and bent ventrally. Nuchal epaulettes not mentioned.

Median antenna, equal in length to 3 times longer than prostomial length; lateral antennae shorter. Alternation in direction of cirri not assessed; length and alternation of cirrophores and cirrostyles not described. Antennae slightly club shaped, dorsal cirri described as similar to antennae.

Unknown number of aciculae. Compound chaetae with small distal tooth.

Pharynx long, s shaped. Trepan with 40 unequal teeth in 3 sizes; 10 large, 20 medium and 10 small; 1 large alternating with 1 medium, 1 small, and 1 medium, number of rings not mentioned. Proventricle large and ovoid.

Reproduction. A stolon with 3+23 chaetigers, is referred to this species, but the connection is not justified, and the stolon can be of several taxa. Eggs found in one atokous specimen.

Distribution. South East Atlantic. South Africa, False Bay. Possibly also Indian Ocean (Gulf of Suez).

Remarks. The trepan of A. bondei is very similar to the trepan in E. usaensis , and E. macrophtalmus . General body form, and short palps only partly fused, also points in this direction. However, as the types are lost, new material from the type locality is necessary for an evaluation of the taxon; it is here considered as Autolytinae incertae sedis , but with indications on affinity to Epigamia .