Variation in rates of early development in Haliotis asinina generate competent larvae of different ages.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Inter-specific comparisons of metazoan developmental mechanisms have provided a wealth of data concerning the evolution of body form and the generation of morphological novelty. Conversely, studies of intra-specific variation in developmental programs are far fewer. Variation in the rate of development may be an advantage to the many marine invertebrates that posses a biphasic life cycle, where fitness commonly requires the recruitment of planktonically dispersing larvae to patchily distributed benthic environments.

Results

We have characterised differences in the rate of development between individuals originating from a synchronised fertilisation event in the tropical abalone Haliotis asinina, a broadcast spawning lecithotrophic vetigastropod. We observed sign

SUBMITTER: Jackson DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3293765 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature