Pantinonemertes californiensis larva (from Hiebert et al. 2010) which was artificially fertilized from ripe adults in September and August of 2008 and 2009. A young larva (upper left) and a three-day old larva (upper right) with two red eyes. Note apical tuft marking larval anterior at left. Hiebert et al. 2010 described the shedding of the larval epidermis in this species, which is shown in the lower images. Scale bars 50 µm.
Pantinonemertes californiensis
Sequence Data: 16S, COI
Reproductive adults observed: July-Sep
The larval development (including the shedding of the larval epidermis) has been described for Pantinonemertes californiensis (Hiebert et al. 2010). Ripe adults are observed in summer (July–Sep) and females have pinkish eggs of approximately 100 µm in diameter surrounded by a conspicuous egg chorion. Lecithotrophic larvae hatch after 30 hours and have a prominent apical tuft, two red eyes and a less conspicuous posterior cirrus after three days (Hiebert et al. 2010). We have yet to observe these larvae in the plankton and we suspect that their larval pelagic duration is relatively short.
Early development in Pantinonemertes californiensis (from Hiebert et al. 2010) from fertilized egg to 32-cell stage (lower right). Note conspicuous egg chorion. Scale bar 100 µm.