This reference work is designed to provide background information on an array of northeastern Pacific marine invertebrate species so that they can be more easily included in comparative studies of morphology, cell biology, reproduction, embryology, larval biology, and ecology. It is meant to serve biologists who are new to the field as well as experienced investigators who may not be familiar with the invertebrate fauna of the northern Pacific Coast. The species discussed in this volume are mostly from the cold temperate waters of the San Juan Archipelago, near Puget SOund and the Strait of Georgia, but the information and methods given will be useful in laboratories from Alaska to central California and applicable to some extend in other coastal or inland facilities. An introductory chapter discusses basic prodcedures for collecting and maintaining mature specimens, for initiating spawning, and for culturing embryos and larvae in the laboratory. Subsequent chapters summarize reproduction and development in thirty different invertebrate groups and provided ercent references through which additional information can be traced, cite monographs or keys needed to identify species, and give methods useful for studying an array of selected species. Available information on habitat, diet, reproductive mode, egg size, developmental pattern, developmental times, larval type, and conditions for settlement and metamorphosis is reported for over 450 species.

In Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates a group of internationally recognized researchers assesses the state of current knowledge in the field and identifies future avenues of research. Comprehensive in scope, the book treats all levels of biological organization, from the molecular level to communities of organisms. After a brief historical overview that identifies the conceptual underpinnings of twentieth-century invertebrate zoology and embryology, the book is organized by developmental stages. The authors first present chapters on oogenesis, spermatogenesis, fertilization, and embryonic development. A subsequent section--arranged phylogenetically to encompass annelids, priapulans, molluscs, bryozoans, and echinoderms--covers larval morphology and evolution. The final section treats larval or adult populations and includes new information on the role of hydrodynamics to aid in the understanding of larval dispersal and settlement. Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates is the first book of its kind to be published since 1978. Extensivelyillustrated with more than a hundred line drawings and photos--including sixty high-resolution electron micrographs--it will be of interest to professionals and students in evolutionary biology, invertebrate zoology, developmental biology, and functional morphology.

Three major aspects that distinguish this book are that (1) it contains the most detailed analysis of the sexual reproduction (oogenesis, fertilization and embryonic incubation) in a particular phylum of the aquatic invertebrates (Bryozoa) ever made; this analysis is based on an exhaustive review of the literature on that topic published over the last 260 years, as well as extensive original histological, anatomical and morphological data obtained during studies of both extant and extinct species; (2) this broad analysis has made it possible to reconstruct the major patterns, stages and trends in the evolution of sexual reproduction in various bryozoan clades, showing numerous examples of parallelisms during transitions from broadcasting to embryonic incubation, from planktotrophic to non-feeding larvae and from lecithotrophy to placentation; corresponding shifts in oogenesis, fertilization and embryonic development are discussed in detail; and (3) the key evolutionary novelties acquired by Bryozoa are compared with similar innovations that have evolved in other groups of marine invertebrates, showing the general trends in the evolution of their sexual reproduction. Ecological background of these innovations is considered too. Altogether these aspects make the monograph an “Encyclopedia of bryozoan sexual reproduction,” offering an integral picture of the evolution of this complex phenomenon.

Reproduction of Marine Invertebrates Volume V, Molluscs: Pelecypods and Lesser Classes presents valuable insights on the early evolution of molluscan reproductive biology. It discusses the asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction capacity, and developmental stages of pelecypods and the remaining smaller classes, including aplacophora, polyplacophora, and monoplacophora. One chapter in this volume provides a broad overview of the knowledge and problems on oyster reproductive biology. This book is ideal for marine biologists and researchers, reproductive biologists, and developmental biologists.

"More than seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by the ocean which is home to a staggering and sometimes overwhelming diversity of organisms, the majority of which reside in pelagic form. Marine invertebrate larvae are an integral component of this pelagic diversity and have stimulated the curiosity of researchers for centuries. This accessible, upper-level text provides an important and timely update on the topic of larval evolution and ecology, representing the first major synthesis of this interdisciplinary field for more than 20 years. The content is structured around four major areas: evolutionary origins and transitions in developmental mode; functional morphology and ecology of larval forms; larval transport, settlement, and metamorphosis; larval ecology in extreme and changing environments. This novel synthesis integrates traditional larval ecology with life history theory, evolutionary developmental biology, and modern genomics research to provide a research and teaching tool for decades to come." -- from the rear cover.

Reproduction of Marine Invertebrates, Volume II: Entoprocts and Lesser Coelomates focuses on the reproduction of smaller groups of marine metazoans. It is organized into nine chapters; each chapter is devoted to a specific marine metazoan. The asexual and sexual reproduction and developmental stages of entoprocta, tardigrada, priapulida, sipuncula, pogonophora, chaetognatha, hemichordata, tunicata, and cephalochordate are discussed. This book is ideal for marine invertebrate researchers, scientists, and reproduction experts.