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Feeding by larvae of two different developmental modes in Streblospio benedicti (Polychaeta: Spionidae)

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Abstract

Females of the spionid polychaete Streblospio benedicti (Webster) produce either small eggs (60–70 μm diameter) and planktotrophic larvae, or large eggs (100–200 μm) and lecithotrophic larvae that reportedly do not feed. This intraspecific polymorphism, a form of poecilogony, is potentially useful in studies of larval ecology and evolution, but necessary data on larval form and function are lacking. This study describes the morphology and nutritional biology of larvae obtained from Atlantic (South Carolina) and Pacific (California and Washington) populations from 2003 to 2005. The two types of larvae produced by Atlantic S. benedicti differed greatly in length (229±22 μm SD for planktotrophs vs. 638±40 μm for lecithotrophs) and chaetiger number (2–5 vs. 10–11) at release from the female’s brood pouch. Planktotrophic larvae bore long provisional chaetae on their first chaetiger; provisional chaetae were absent in lecithotrophic larvae. Larvae from Pacific populations were all of the lecithotrophic form, and were similar to their Atlantic counterparts in all respects. High-speed video microscopy revealed that both types of larvae used opposed bands of cilia to capture suspended particles and transport them to the mouth, where they were often ingested. Lecithotrophic larvae reared with suspended phytoplankton (Rhodomonas sp., 104 cells ml−1) for 2 days grew significantly faster than sibling larvae reared without added food, indicating that these larvae can digest and assimilate ingested food. Larvae of S. benedicti that develop from large eggs are thus facultative planktotrophs instead of obligately non-feeding lecithotrophs, a result that affects the interpretation of comparative studies of the ecology and evolution of larvae in S. benedicti and certain other marine invertebrates.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Allen, R. Brodie, J. Cowart, P. Kenny and S. Woodin for facilitating work at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory (BMFL); S. Woodin also generously provided space and equipment in Columbia, SC. Likewise, we thank the director and staff of the Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL) for providing space, equipment and support. R. Rogers (Department of Fish and Game, WA) helped us obtain import permits, and FHL staff helped us meet their provisions. D. Bulthuis permitted us to collect worms in the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. R. Strathmann kindly allowed us to use his high-speed video camera. Discussions with J. Blake, L. Levin, R. Podolsky and R. Strathmann were helpful in clarifying some of our ideas, and P. Krug and two anonymous reviewers made valuable comments on the manuscript. This work was supported in part by a Visiting Scientist Award to BP from the BMFL. Contribution 1427 from the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA, 90840, USA

    Bruno Pernet & Lynn McArthur

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  1. Bruno Pernet
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  2. Lynn McArthur
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Correspondence to Bruno Pernet.

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Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick

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Pernet, B., McArthur, L. Feeding by larvae of two different developmental modes in Streblospio benedicti (Polychaeta: Spionidae). Mar Biol 149, 803–811 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0266-8

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