Sexual Differentiation in Rhabdostyla Vernalis

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Abstract
A parental stock was established by the vegetative multiplication of a single individual, and subcultures from the parental stock were made by transferring 25 telotrochs to sterile culture medium. Conjugation was effected either by inducing encysted specimens to excyst and multiply or by activating old cultures to undergo rapid vegetative fissions, ending with preconjugation fissions which yielded macro- and microconjugants. There was no apparent morph. difference between individuals about to undergo veg. fission and those on the verge of preconjugation fission. These "neuter" individuals gave rise to one macro- and 4 microconjugants by an equal division of the micronucleus and an unequal division of the macronucleus and cytosome. The microconjugants either united with macroconjugants or died. If conjugation did not occur the macroconjugants underwent veg. fission.
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