The development of Ophiothrix fragilis was documented using light microscopy, and the allometry of larval growth was quantified. Larval development to the suspended juvenile stage took 21 days under conditions that were probably optimal compared to those in the plankton. Larval shape changed through development as the larval body and arms grew. Growth of the posterolateral larval arms was conti...

New recruits of the bluehead wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum were censused and collected from nearshore reefs of Barbados, West Indies, every 2 weeks for 20 months. Their temporal coincidence with low salinity (<34 5) water during their pelagic larval stage was determined by comparing the otolith records of new recruits with conductivity and temperature records from a current meter moored 2 km of...

The application of high-resolution genetic data has revealed that oceanographic connectivity in marine species with planktonic larvae can be surprisingly limited, even in the absence of major barriers to dispersal. Australia's southern coast represents a particularly interesting system for studying planktonic larval dispersal, as the hydrodynamic regime of the wide continental shelf has potenti...

Predicting the oceanic dispersal of planktonic larvae that connect scattered marine animal populations is difficult, yet crucial for management of species whose movements transcend international boundaries. Using multi-scale biophysical modeling techniques coupled with empirical estimates of larval behavior and gamete production, we predict and empirically verify spatio-temporal patterns of lar...

Transgenic corn, Zea mays L., that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1Ab is only moderately toxic to Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and has been planted commercially since 1996. Growth and development of H. zea was monitored to determine potential changes in susceptibility to this toxin over time. Small plots of corn hybrids expressing Cry1F, Cry1F × Cry1Ab, Cry1Ab × Cry3Bb1, Cry1A.1...

Cannibalism among size classes may reduce starvation and improve survival of larval tuna in oligotrophic ocean areas, but it may also be a substantial mortality component depending on the availability of alternative prey. Here, we combine laboratory and field data on tuna larvae with a model of larval foraging and bioenergetics to explore the role of cannibalism in cohort development at differe...

Spawning periodicity of the green mussel, P. viridis (Linn. 1758), from Moheshkhali channel Bay Bengal, Bangldesh was determined by ‘larval abundance’ method for a period one year November 1990 and October 1991. Higher larval abundance recorded during pre-monsoon (January to April) post-monsoon (September December) months. Two significant peaks in spawning were recorded- major peak September (p...