A REVIEW OF POECILOGONY IN GASTROPODS

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Abstract
All alleged cases of poecilogony in marine gastropods, involving planktotrophic and non planktotrophic larval development within a single species, are reviewed. It is concluded that there is presently no known case of poecilogony in prosobranchs and shelled opisthobranchs, although indisputable poecilogony exists in Ascoglossa and possibly nudibranchs. The multispiral or paucispiral form of the protoconch, which is a reflecxtion of planktotrophic or non-planktotrophic larval development respectively, can therefore, with a very high degree of confidence, be considered a species-specific character that can be used in routine taxonomical work on both Recent and fossil material.

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