Main Ref. | Ruppert, E.E., R.S. Fox and R.D. Barnes, 2004 |
Mode | dioecism |
Fertilization | external |
Spawning Frequency | |
Batch Spawner | No |
Reproductive Guild | |
Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Members of the class Echinoidea are gonochoric. Fertilization is external. Brooding is common, eggs are held either on the peristome, around the periproct or deep into the concavities on the petaloids. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (echinoplateus) and live for several months before they sink to the bottom using their tube feet to adhere on the ground where they metamorphose into young urchins. |
Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |