Reproduction, recruitment and larval metamorphosis in the serpulid polychaete Ditrupa arietina (O.F. Müller)

Reproduction, larval development and settlement were investigated in the serpulid polychaete Ditrupa arietina. Sexes are strictly separated. Sperm shows a spherical head, characteristic of broadcast spawning species, and the average number of oocytes per female before spawning is close to 9000. The survey of the presence of oocytes in the coelomic cavity indicates that the breeding period in D. arietina from the bay of Banyuls-sur-Mer lasts from November to June. The monitoring of new recruits within the sediment indicates that recruitment begins as early as January, peaks in April–May, and ends in July. The fecundity as well as the spawning frequency per female depends on body size. The planktonic life is close to 3 weeks and completion of metamorphosis occurs very rapidly after larval settlement. Competent larvae do not show any selective behaviour relative to sediment particle size. This confirms that distribution of the species within the bay, spatial heterogeneity in the structure and in the density of adult populations mainly results from post-settlement processes. The potential effect of some environmental factors (such as food availability or meteorological conditions) on the first benthic stages is discussed briefly.