GALLERY OF LARVAE

Planula larva of the coral Pocillopora damicornis

Photo by Robert Richmond

Coral polyp bailout

Photo by Paul W. Sammarco

Newly settled coral larvae may secrete a skeleton, but if conditions are poor, polyps may "bail out" and re-enter the water column, presumably with the ability to find a better place to settle. The arrow points to a polyp in the process of departing.

Sempers larva of a Zoanthellid, probably Palythoa sp., found on coral reefs (Order Zoanthidea, Phylum Cnidaria, usually colonial and anemone-like)

Photo by Rudolph Scheltema

Sempers larva of Zoanthina (?) sp. (Order Zoanthidea, Phylum Cnidaria)

Photo by Rudolph Scheltema

Planktotrophic larva of the hairy triton, Cymatium parthenopetum, a teleplanic larva found in the tropical Atlantic; adult on right

Photos by Rudolph Scheltema

Frontal view of veliger larva of the snail Cymatium nicobaricum, another teleplanic larva found in the tropical Atlantic

Photo by Rudolph Scheltema

Veliger larva of the eastern Pacific gastropod Fusitriton oregonensis, with adult on right

Photo of larva by Gregory Wray; adult to right

Egg case with developing embryos of the eastern Pacific gastropod Littorina scutulata

Photo by Gregory Wray

Larva of the open Pacific coast chiton Tonicella lineata

Photo by Christopher Lowe

Mesotroch larvae (left) of the polychaete Spirobranchus giganteus, whose adult lives in a calcareous tube on reef-building corals.

Photos by Rudolph Scheltema, Robert Richmond (of adult)

Mitraria larva of an Owenid polychaete

Photo by Christopher Lowe

Larvae of five species of the polychaete Capitella capitata sibling species group

Photos by Kevin Ecklebarger

Nectochaete larva of a polychaete

Photo by Gregory Wray

Larva of Phoronid worm Phoronis vancouverensis

Photo by Gregory Wray

Left: Kamptozoan larva of the entoproct Loxosonella Right: Adult

Photos by Gregory Wray

Cyphonautes larva of the bryozoan Membranipora sp.

Photo by Gregory Wray

Disconiscid larva of an Articulate Brachiopod

Photo by Richard Strathman

Nauplius larva of unidentified crustacean

Photo by Christopher Lowe

Megalopa larva of the Shame-faced crab, Calappa sp., taken from the Gulf Stream, but adults are normally found in the Caribbean Sea

Photo by Rudolph Scheltema

Nauplius larva of a goose-necked barnacle species of Lepas, whose adult lives attached to floating objects. Adult on right.

Photos by Rudolph Scheltema

Nauplius larva of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii in North Carolina. Larva has erectible spines (arrows), which make them difficult for predatory fishes to swallow.

Photo by Steven G. Morgan

Ophiopluteus larva and adult (right) of the Pacific northwest brittle star Ophiopholis aculeata

Photo of larva by Christopher Lowe

Pluteus larva of the urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, San Juan Islands, Washington

Photo by Gregory Wray

Auricularia larva of the sea cucumber Parastichopus californicus

Photo by Gregory Wray

Auricularia larva of Luidia sp.

Photo by Gregory Wray

Scanning electron micrograph of a brachiolaria larva of an unidentified asteroid sea star

Photo by Will Jaeckle

Newly metamorphosed Mediaster aequalis sea star

Photo by Christopher Lowe

Tadpole larva of the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri

Photo by Richard Grosberg

Tadpole larva ot a Pacific northwest tunicate, Corella inflata, with "test cells" containing ammonium chloride in excess for buoyancy

Photo by Jon Havenhand

Newly settled and metamorphosed larva of the urchin Lytechinus sp.; Adult to Right

Left Photo by Russell Zimmer; Right Photo by Gregory Wray