Studies on twelve common bivalve larvae, with notes on bivalve spawning seasons in New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract Twelve common bivalve larvae occurring in the plankton from the Bay of Islands (35°15'S, 174°10'E), Wellington Harbour (41°16'S, 174°51'E), and off Raumati Beach (40°56'S, 174°58'E), New Zealand, during 1970–72 are described and, wherever possible, provisionally identified. The seasonal occurrences of these larvae in the plankton are also described. Information on the spawning cycles of some New Zealand adult bivalves is reviewed; although some species have a short (4 months or less) spawning season, for most it is much longer, possibly with ‘trickle’ spawning through several months of the year.