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Egg laying and embryonic-larval development in the snail Thais (Stramonita) chocolata (Duclos, 1832) with observations on its evolutionary relationships within the Muricidae

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Abstract

Oviposition and embryonic-larval development are described for the muricacean snail Thais (Stramonita) chocolata from the Southeast Pacific coast. As with numerous other muricacean snails, this species engages in communal egg laying, with females depositing egg capsules in clusters on subtidal rocks. Each cluster of capsules contains 100–150 pedunculate, ampulliform egg capsules, with each capsule containing an average of 2,600 small (130 μm) eggs. Intracapsular development was followed using light and scanning electron microscopy to describe the successive embryonic stages of the species. Free-swimming veliger larvae of about 225 μm length were released from capsules after 49 days incubation at 13.6°C. The planktotrophic larvae were cultured in seawater aquaria by feeding with pure cultures of phytoplankton, recording growth and form of the larvae. Larvae reached competence after 4 months at 22°C, at 1,450–1,740 μm in size, and a few larvae were observed through metamorphosis and early definitive growth. The embryonic-larval development of T. chocolata coincides with the general characteristics of the ontogeny observed in other Thais species as well as of other genera of the Rapaninae such as Concholepas. This lent support to grouping these genera into a single clade. The lack of knowledge of the development of free larvae of Thais spp. means that we do not know whether these similarities also include an extensive larval phase as generally characteristic of other members of the clade. The mode of development may be useful in characterizing some clades of this family. Thus for example, the transference of some Thais to the genus Nucella (Subfamily Ocenebrinae) is supported by differences in the mode of embryonic development, which differentiates these subfamilies. Paleobiological data reported for Neogastropoda allow postulation of primitiveness in planktotrophic larval development compared to more recent developmental strategies such as direct development of different types, which characterize various clades of this family.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Unidad de Producción de la Universidad Católica del Norte and Mr. Helmo Pérez for cooperation during this study. The preparation of the manuscript was partially financed by Proyect DID-UACH 2001–02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 117, Coquimbo, Chile

    María Soledad Romero

  2. Instituto de Zoología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile

    Carlos S. Gallardo

  3. PO Box 3016, Concepción, Chile

    Gilda Bellolio

Authors
  1. María Soledad Romero
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  2. Carlos S. Gallardo
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  3. Gilda Bellolio
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Correspondence to María Soledad Romero.

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Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe

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Soledad Romero, M., Gallardo, C.S. & Bellolio, G. Egg laying and embryonic-larval development in the snail Thais (Stramonita) chocolata (Duclos, 1832) with observations on its evolutionary relationships within the Muricidae. Marine Biology 145, 681–692 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1368-9

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