Life history and seasonal breeding of the deep-sea annelid Ophryotrocha sp. (Polychaeta: Dorvelleidae)

Shallow-water annelids of the genus Ophryotrocha have become a popular biological system for exploring ecological, behavioral, developmental, and toxicological questions. Here we report on the successful maintenance in holding tanks, complete life cycle, and reproductive phenology of a first deep-water representative that could be used as a model species. This Ophryotrocha, which has yet to be formally described, is large (12–16 mm long) and exhibits simultaneous hermaphroditism. Specimens collected off northeast Newfoundland (eastern Canada) between 500 and 1500 m depth were monitored under flow-through laboratory conditions for over three years. They consistently exhibited seasonal feeding from April to February, followed by a reproductive season between February and May. Gametogenesis was initiated in early January and completed in early to mid-February, followed by courtship, which mainly involved pairs of individuals attached head to tail for hours to days. Transparent gelatinous masses containing 80–110 eggs were laid from mid-February to late-March. Propagules developed in the mass to the 1-chaetiger stage and, at an ambient temperature of ~1–4 °C, offspring emerged 30–45 days post-laying. Only ~40–45% of the eggs laid developed to the 1-chaetiger stage, with evidence of adelphophagy. After emerging from the gelatinous mass, 1-chaetiger stages remained aggregated and were guarded by adults for a few days before dispersing. All parents died following the dispersal of their offspring. The new generation reached sexual maturity in 8–9 months and was ready to reproduce the following January–February. A few cases of segmenting adult worms were also observed. Three complete generations developed successively to sexual maturity over the course of this study.