The Annual Cycle and the Short Term Periodicity of Breeding in a Northumberland Population of Spirorbis Spirorbis (Polychaeta: Serpulidae)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The fact that Spirorbis spirorbis (= S. borealis) has a summer breeding season during which several successive broods of larvae are produced has been known since the work of Garbarini (1933,1936). A recent summary of the taxonomy, ecology and distribution of S. spirorbis has been given by Knight-Jones & Knight-Jones (1977). The two aspects of the species' reproductive biology which have received most attention are the role of sea temperatures in initiating breeding and the correlation of brood production with lunar and tidal cycles. In the present work a study has been made of gametogenesis as well as of the more easily observed cycle of brood production. The results obtained have indicated, in respect of one population of S. spirorbis at least, the need for a major re-assessment of earlier studies of the species.

This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit: