Marine Larvae

What is the role of larvae in sessile species?

Larvae are critical for dispersal and important to food webs.

What is direct development?

Offspring look like miniature adults and are morphologically complex.

Describe lecithotrophic larvae.

Yolk-dependent larvae that are morphologically simple and have a short duration, non-feeding.

What characterizes planktotrophic larvae?

They are feeding larvae, long-lived, morphologically complex, and have extensive dispersal.

What is the significance of planktonic larvae for species distribution?

Species with planktonic larvae have wider geographic distributions.

What is ovipary?

A reproductive strategy where eggs are laid external to the parent's body, and the embryo develops outside.

What is ovovivipary.

A reproductive strategy where eggs are retained inside the parent's body until hatching, with the embryo nourished by yolk in the egg.

What is vivipary?

A reproductive strategy where the embryo develops inside the parent's body and is nourished directly by the parent (umbilical cord & placenta).

What cues do larvae use to settle?

Chemical and physical cues such as bacteria, algae, adult presence, and currents.

What is competency in marine larvae?

The physiological and behavioral readiness of a larva to respond to environmental cues and settle onto a suitable substrate.

Why is settlement critical for larvae?

Settlement is critical for survival and the completion of the life cycle, especially for species that are sessile as adults. If they do not settle in a suitable habitat, they will not survive.