Mode Of Larval Development Research Articles

Hidden diversity and endemism on seamounts: focus on poorly dispersive neogastropods

The seamounts chain offers a set of fragmented habitats in which species with poor dispersive ability may undergo divergence in allopatry. Such a scenario may explain the endemism often described on seamounts. In gastropods, it is possible to infer the mode of development of a species from the morphology of its larval shell. Accordingly, we examine the population genetics of several caenogastropods from the Norfolk and Lord Howe seamounts (south-west Pacific) with contrasting modes of larval development. A prerequisite to our study was to clarify the taxonomic framework. The species delimitation was ruled using an integrative approach, based on both morphological and molecular evidence. Molecular data indicate an unexpected taxonomic diversity within the existing species names. Both the clarification of the taxonomic framework and the importance of the sampling effort allow us to confidently detect cryptic diversity and micro-endemism. These results are discussed in relation to the dispersive capacities of the organisms. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 420–438.

Difference in larval type explains patterns of nonsynonymous substitutions in two ancient paralogs of the histone H3 gene in sea stars

Paralogous genes frequently show differences in patterns and rates of substitution that are typically attributed to different selection regimes, mutation rates, or local recombination rates. Here, two anciently diverged paralogous copies of the histone H3 gene in sea stars, the tandem-repetitive early-stage gene and a newly isolated gene with lower copy number that was termed the "putative late-stage histone H3 gene" were analyzed in 69 species with varying mode of larval development. The two genes showed differences in relative copy number, overall substitution rates, nucleotide composition, and codon usage, but similar patterns of relative nonsynonymous substitution rates, when analyzed by the d(N)/d(S) ratio. Sea stars with a nonpelagic and nonfeeding larval type (i.e., brooding lineages) were observed to have d(N)/d(S) ratios that were larger than for nonbrooders but equal between the two paralogs. This finding suggested that demographic differences between brooding and nonbrooding lineages were responsible for the elevated d(N)/d(S) ratios observed for brooders and refuted a suggestion from a previous analysis of the early-stage gene that the excess nonsynonymous substitutions were due to either (1) gene expression differences at the larval stage between brooders and nonbrooders or (2) the highly repetitive structure of the early-stage histone H3 gene.

Life history mediates large-scale population ecology in marine benthic taxa

Progress in marine biodiversity research requires a suite of approaches to understand processes occurring across a broad range of spatial scales. Macroecology provides a useful frame- work for understanding how local- and regional-scale processes interact, and comparative analyses of residual variation around macroecological relationships offer a promising route to better under- stand how the biological and ecological traits of individual species influence large-scale patterns in diversity. We combined data on the distribution and abundance of 575 North Sea macrobenthic species with a new species-level biological traits database to determine the effects of life history on the relationship between local population density and regional occupancy. We found the strongest effects were for body size: for a given local population density, larger-bodied species tended to be more widely distributed than smaller-bodied species (controlling for taxonomic affinities between species). This indicates a broad trend for large-bodied species to have relatively less aggregated distributions than smaller-bodied species, and is the first demonstration in marine systems that abun- dance-occupancy relationships are mediated by body size. We suggest that this effect is most likely due to the interrelationships between body size and other life-history traits that influence the large- scale dispersal of individuals, in particular, mode of larval development and adult migratory habit. The ability of a single life-history trait to capture this variation in spatial structure suggests that our approach could relatively easily be applied to more extensive marine data sets in the future.

Systematic and Biogeographical Patterns in the Reproductive Biology of Scleractinian Corals

A limited diversity of character states for reproductive traits and a robust phylogeny make scleractinian corals an ideal model organism with which to explore the evolution of life-history traits. Here, we explore systematic and biogeographical patterns in the reproductive biology of the Scleractinia within the context of a new molecular phylogeny and using reproductive traits from nearly 400 species. Our analyses confirm that coral sexuality is highly conserved, and mode of larval development is relatively plastic. An overabundance of species with autotrophic larvae in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic is most likely the result of increased capacity for long-distance dispersal conferred by vertical transmission of symbiotic zooxanthellae. Spawning records from diverse biogeographical regions indicate that multispecies spawning occurs in all speciose coral assemblages. A new quantitative index of spawning synchrony shows peaks at mid-tropical latitudes in the Indo-Pacific, influenced in part by two spawning seasons in many species on equatorial reefs.

Deconstructing latitudinal species richness patterns in the ocean: does larval development hold the clue?

The consistent decrease in species richness with latitude shows several exceptions among marine organisms. We hypothesize that contrasting latitudinal diversity gradients can be explained by differences in critical life-history attributes, such as mode of larval development (MLD). We deconstructed latitudinal species richness patterns of marine benthic invertebrates according to MLD to elucidate differences in patterns of species richness and to reveal underlying processes. The patterns of species richness were remarkably similar across taxa within MLD but differed between MLD. Species richness decreased polewards in planktotrophic species and increased in direct developers. Temperature explained most of the variation in species richness. Low temperature at high latitudes may generally favour direct developing species, but, together with low chlorophyll-a concentration, limit the distribution of planktotrophic species. The contrasting influence of temperature on different MLDs might be explained by its effect on the length of planktonic life and on brooding costs.

Egg Size as a Life History Character of Marine Invertebrates: Is It All It's Cracked Up to Be?

Egg size is one of the most important aspects of the life history of free-spawning marine organisms, and it is correlated with larval developmental mode and many other life-history characters. Egg size is simple to measure and data are available for a wide range of taxa, but we have a limited understanding of how large and small eggs differ in composition; size is not always the best measure of the characters under selection. Large eggs are generally considered to reflect increased maternal investment, but egg size alone can be a poor predictor of energetic content within and among taxa. We review techniques that have been used to measure the energetic content and biochemical makeup of invertebrate eggs and point out the strengths and difficulties associated with each. We also suggest a number of comparative and descriptive approaches to biochemical constituent analysis that would strengthen our understanding of how natural selection shapes oogenic strategies. Finally, we highlight recent empirical research on the intrinsic factors that drive intraspecific variation in egg size. We also highlight the relative paucity of these data in the literature and provide some suggestions for future research directions.

Spatial and temporal population genetic structure of four northeastern Pacific littorinid gastropods: the effect of mode of larval development on variation at one mitochondrial and two nuclear DNA markers

We investigated the effect of development mode on the spatial and temporal population genetic structure of four littorinid gastropod species. Snails were collected from the same three sites on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada in 1997 and again in 2007. DNA sequences were obtained for one mitochondrial gene, cytochrome b (Cyt b), and for up to two nuclear genes, heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70) and aminopeptidase N intron (APN54). We found that the mean level of genetic diversity and long-term effective population sizes (N(e)) were significantly greater for two species, Littorina scutulata and L. plena, that had a planktotrophic larval stage than for two species, Littorina sitkana and L. subrotundata, that laid benthic egg masses which hatched directly into crawl-away juveniles. Predictably, two poorly dispersing species, L. sitkana and L. subrotundata, showed significant spatial genetic structure at an 11- to 65-km geographical scale that was not observed in the two planktotrophic species. Conversely, the two planktotrophic species had more temporal genetic structure over a 10-year interval than did the two direct-developing species and showed highly significant temporal structure for spatially pooled samples. The greater temporal genetic variation of the two planktotrophic species may have been caused by their high fecundity, high larval dispersal, and low but spatially correlated early survivorship. The sweepstakes-like reproductive success of the planktotrophic species could allow a few related females to populate hundreds of kilometres of coastline and may explain their substantially larger temporal genetic variance but lower spatial genetic variance relative to the direct-developing species.

Effect of oxygen conditions on intracapsular development in two calyptraeid species with different modes of larval development

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 368:197-207 (2008) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07605 Effect of oxygen conditions on intracapsular development in two calyptraeid species with different modes of larval development Antonio Brante1,2,5,*, Miriam Fernández1,2,5, Frédérique Viard3,4,5 1Departamento de Ecología Costera, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Casilla 297, Concepción, Chile 2Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile 3UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7144, Equipe Evolution et Génetique des Populations Marines, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682 Roscoff, France 4CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682 Roscoff, France 5International Associated Laboratory ‘Dispersal and Adaptation in Marine Species’ (Station Biologique de Roscoff and Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity [CASEB]) *Email: abrante@ucsc.cl ABSTRACT: Oxygen availability in the aggregation of offspring has been shown to be a critical factor affecting the survival and development of embryos in aquatic systems. It is not yet known, however, to what extent the capacity to provide O2 to embryo aggregations may act on the time of parental protection (here encapsulation), ultimately determining indirect and direct embryonic development. We assessed O2 conditions during encapsulation, the factors determining those conditions, and the consequences on embryo survival in 2 gastropod species with contrasting developmental modes: Crepidula fornicata, an indirect developer, and Crepidula coquimbensis, a direct developer showing adelphophagy. Results showed that intracapsular O2 conditions decreased to almost hypoxic conditions throughout development in C. fornicata, in contrast to the oxygenated conditions observed in C. coquimbensis during the entire encapsulation period. These contrasting patterns between species were explained by: (1) differences in metabolic rate of the embryos, (2) differences in total metabolizing material per capsule throughout development, and (3) differences in wall thickness and rates of decay throughout development, which may affect O2 diffusion. Moreover, when the low O2 conditions observed at the end of the encapsulation period were maintained after hatching by artificially extending encapsulation for 3 d, a dramatic negative effect on embryonic survival was observed in the indirect developer. In contrast, no effect on juvenile survival was observed in the direct developer. We suggest that hatching at intermediate stages of embryonic development in C. fornicata may be a response to increased O2 constraints during the encapsulated period. KEY WORDS: Parental protection · Oxygen limitation · Developmental mode · Larvae · Crepidula · Encapsulation Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Brante A, Fernández M, Viard F (2008) Effect of oxygen conditions on intracapsular development in two calyptraeid species with different modes of larval development. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 368:197-207. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07605Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 368. Online publication date: September 25, 2008 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2008 Inter-Research.

Developmental patterns of larval growth in the edible spider crab, Maja brachydactyla (Decapoda: Majidae)

The large edible spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922, an overexploited coastal fishery resource in Galicia (NW Spain), is considered as a potential aquaculture candidate. Patterns of its larval growth were studied under controlled laboratory conditions (constant 18 ± 1 °C; 36‰ salinity; photoperiod ca. 12:12 h; lipid-enriched Artemia metanauplii provided as food). From hatching through complete larval development and metamorphosis to the first juvenile crab instar, changes in carapace size, dry weight (DW), ash content, elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen; CHN), and proximate biochemical composition (total proteins, lipids, carbohydrates; Pr, L, Ch) were measured in successive stages (zoea I, II, megalopa, crab I). Body size may be described as a linear function of the number of molting cycles, whereas the amounts of DW, CHN, Pr, L, and Ch per individual increased exponentially (3 to 9 fold). The highest growth rates were observed in L, C and H, the lowest in DW, Pr and N. As a consequence of these patterns, the C:N mass ratio as well as the fractions of L, C and H (in % of DW) increased significantly, while those of Pr and N decreased from 26% to 16% of DW. Throughout development, however, Pr remained the principal biochemical component of total DW. Positive correlations between biochemical and CHN data allow for estimates of Pr from N and of L from C values per individual. The patterns of larval growth observed in M. brachydactyla are, in general, similar to those previously described for other brachyuran crabs with a planktotrophic mode of larval development.

Intermediate modes of larval development: bridging the gap between planktotrophy and lecithotrophy

The extraordinary diversity of larval form and function in marine invertebrates has motivated many studies of development, ecology, and evolution. Among organisms with pelagic development via a larval stage, this diversity is often reduced to a dichotomy between two broad nutritional categories: planktotrophy and lecithotrophy. Despite the clear utility of the planktotrophy-lecithotrophy dichotomy to those interested in the history or consequences of life history patterns, it is also clear that a number of larval forms do not fit neatly into either of these general categories. Here we review studies of these intermediate larval forms, focusing on descriptions of larvae known as facultative feeders. Recent descriptions of larval development suggest that facultative feeders and other intermediate larval forms are not as rare as commonly assumed. We assess the importance of these forms for models of life-history evolution and call for a more-detailed and nuanced view of larval biology to account for their existence. Clearer knowledge of the phylogenetic distribution and frequency of occurrence of larvae that exhibit intermediate nutritional requirements is also essential for evaluating current ideas on evolutionary transitions between planktotrophy and lecithotrophy. Finally, intermediate larval types provide valuable and underutilized opportunities for testing hypotheses in the fields of larval ecology and the evolution of development.

Fuels for development: evolution of maternal provisioning in asterinid sea stars

For marine invertebrates, larval developmental mode is inseparably linked to the nutritional content of the egg. Within the asterinid family of sea stars there have been multiple, independent, evolutionary transitions to lecithotrophic development from the ancestral, planktotrophic state. To investigate the evolution of maternal investment and development within the Asterinidae, we quantified individual lipid classes and total protein for eggs and larval stages of closely related species representing three developmental modes (planktotrophy, planktonic lecithotrophy and benthic lecithotrophy). Within species, maternal provisioning differed between females indicating that egg quality varied with parentage. Maternal investment was related to egg size but, after correcting for egg volume, we identified two major oogenic modifications associated with the evolution of lecithotrophic development: (1) a reduction in protein deposition that probably reflects the reduced structural requirements of nonfeeding larvae, (2) an increase in deposition of a single class of energetic lipid, triglyceride (TG). The exception was Parvulastra exigua, which has benthic, lecithotrophic development and lays eggs with a lipid to protein ratio close to that of planktotrophs. This oogenic strategy may provide P. exigua larvae with a protein “weight-belt” that assists in maintaining a benthic existence. Asterinids with planktotrophic development used a significant portion of egg TG to build a feeding bipinnaria larva. For Meridiastra mortenseni, female-specific differences in egg TG were still evident at the bipinnaria stage indicating that egg quality has flow-on effects for larval fitness. In lecithotrophic asterinids, TG reserves were not depleted in development to the larval stage whereas protein stores may help fuel early larval development. Available data indicate that there may be two evolutionarily stable egg lipid profiles for free-spawning, temperate echinoderms.

How Does Metabolic Rate Scale With Egg Size? An Experimental Test With Sea Urchin Embryos

The consequences of changes in egg size for the development of marine invertebrates have been the subject of much theoretical and experimental work. Models that explore larval developmental modes in the context of maternal investment per offspring are often couched in an energetic framework, but the relationships between egg size and the energetics of larval development are poorly understood. We used blastomere separations to examine how experimental reductions in egg size affected (1) larval metabolic rate and (2) larval resistance to starvation. We found that separating blastomeres at the 2- and 4-cell stage resulted in average reductions of 50% and 75%, respectively, in larval metabolic rate. This suggests that, in an experimental context, mass-specific metabolic rate does not change with egg size. We also found that a 50% reduction in egg volume did not reduce the resistance of larvae to starvation when particulate food was withheld. This suggests that the material supplied to larvae in the egg is used primarily for construction of the larval body, rather than as a buffer against starvation or as a means of reducing reliance on exogenous fuel to sustain maintenance metabolism.

A new poecilogonous species of sea slug (Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa) from California: comparison with the planktotrophic congener Alderia modesta (Lovén, 1844)

Cryptic species are increasingly recognized as commonplace among marine gastropods, especially in taxa such as shell-less opisthobranchs that lack many discrete taxonomic characters. Most cases of poecilogony, the presence of variable larval development within a single species, have historically turned out to represent cryptic species, with each possessing a single canalized type of development. One well-characterized example of poecilogony was attributed to the sacoglossan opisthobranch Alderia modesta; in southern California, slugs resembling this member of a monotypic genus produce both long-lived, planktotrophic and short-lived, lecithotrophic larvae. Paradoxically, however, A. modesta is exclusively planktotrophic everywhere else in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. A recently completed molecular study found that slugs from poecilogonous populations south of Bodega Harbor, California, comprise an evolutionarily distinct lineage separate from northern, strictly planktotrophic slugs. We now describe the southern species as A. willowi n. sp., based on differences in morphology of the dorsum and radula, characteristics of the egg mass, larval development mode and nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers. A DNA barcode is provided, based on 27 fixed differences in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene that can reliably differentiate Pacific specimens of Alderia species. Genetic and morphological data are concordant with developmental evidence, confirming that A. willowi is a true case of poecilogony. An improved understanding of the ecological differences between these sister taxa may shed light on the selective pressures that drove the evolution of lecithotrophy in the southern species.

Larval Ecology, Geographic Range, and Species Survivorship in Cretaceous Mollusks: Organismic versus Species‐Level Explanations

The observation that geographic range size in Cretaceous mollusks is correlated with species survivorship and is heritable at the species level has figured repeatedly in discussions of species selection over the past two decades. However, some authors have suggested that the relationship between mode of larval development and geographic range supports the reduction of this example to selection on organismic properties. Our reanalysis of Jablonski's work on heritability at the species level finds that geographic range is significantly heritable (using a randomization test) in both bivalves and gastropods, even within a single larval mode. Further, generalized linear models show that geographic range size is more important than larval mode in predicting extinction probability in both gastropods and bivalves. These results reaffirm the role and heritability of geographic range as a species-level property that can promote species selection; the model-based approach applied here may help to operationalize "screening off " and related approaches to evaluating hierarchical explanations in evolution.

Influence of contrasting larval developmental types upon the population-genetic structure of cheilostome bryozoans

For many sedentary or sessile benthic marine invertebrates the planktonic duration of the larval stage is believed to be a key determinant of the magnitude of genetic differences between populations. An obvious dichotomy in dispersal potential exists within cheilostome bryozoans that develop from either (1) a cyphonautes larva that spends several weeks in the plankton or (2) a brooded coronate larva that settles soon after release from the adult colony. This study characterises the pattern of variation at allozyme loci among British populations of four species of bryozoan—two species with cyphonautes and two with coronate larvae. There is some variation in the estimates of genetic differentiation among similarly separated populations that may be a consequence of non-equilibrium genetic conditions arising from sporadic migration, possibly through dispersal by rafting on macroalgae by mature colonies. Despite this, however, both the level of genetic differentiation between populations and the pattern of migrant exchange correlate with the larval developmental mode. Bryozoan species that brood coronate larvae show higher levels of genetic heterogeneity between populations and significant isolation by distance genetic structure while, by contrast, distance has little or no effect upon the amount of genetic differentiation among populations of bryozoans with cyphonautes larvae. For cheilostome bryozoans, therefore, it appears that genetic differentiation between populations is directly associated with the type of larval development. These data are discussed also with respect to levels of gene diversity and the geological pattern of cheilostome bryozoan species diversity.

Deconstructing bathymetric body size patterns in deep-sea gastropods

Attempts to understand body size as an adaptation to the deep sea have relied primar- ily on measuring and interpreting size-depth relationships. The numerous studies documenting bathymetric size trends during the last 30 yr report widely divergent results. Body size has been found to significantly increase or decrease with depth in different taxa, but often shows no statistical pattern. Some of this variation is attributable to methodological inconsistencies and/or differences in how taxa or functional groups respond to environmental gradients associated with depth. Here, we show that the shape of the size-depth relationship also depends on the depth zone inhabited. We measured shell size for gastropods (81 species, 3423 individuals) collected in the western North Atlantic from depths of 200 to 5000 m. This database makes it possible to assess size within species and among taxa, and to document how body size changes across the continental margin and abyssal plain. Quantile regression shows that maximum size attained among all gastropods increases with depth in the bathyal zone, and then decreases in the abyss. This overall unimodal pattern appears to be generated partly by within-species clines. Size tends to increase with depth in species with upper- to mid-bathyal distributions, and to decrease with depth in species with lower-bathyal to abyssal dis- tributions, independent of feeding type and mode of larval development. The shift from predomi- nantly positive to negative specific size-depth clines at the bathyal-abyssal transition and the preva- lence of smaller individuals in the abyss may reflect a fundamental change in ecological opportunity.

Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny and rates of larval evolution in Macrophiothrix brittlestars

Phylogenetic analysis has led to significant insights into the evolution of early life-history stages of marine invertebrates. Although echinoderms have been a major focus, developmental and phylogenetic information are relatively poor for ophiuroids, the most species-rich echinoderm class. We used DNA sequences from two mitochondrial genes to develop a phylogenetic hypothesis for 14 brittlestar species in the genus Macrophiothrix (Family Ophiotrichidae). Species are similar in adult form and ecology, but have diverse egg sizes and modes of larval development. In particular, two species have rare larval forms with characteristics that are intermediate between more common modes of feeding and non-feeding development. We use the phylogeny to address whether intermediate larval forms are rare because the evolution of a simplified morphology is rapid once food is no longer required for development. In support of this hypothesis, branch lengths for intermediate forms were short relative to those for species with highly derived non-feeding forms. The absolute rarity of such forms makes robust tests of the hypothesis difficult.

Larvae of the deep-sea Nematocarcinidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from the Southern Ocean

The early larval stages of the deep-sea Nematocarcinidae, Nematocarcinus longirostris Bate, 1888, from the south-western Atlantic Ocean, and N. lanceopes Bate, 1888, from the high Antarctic Weddell Sea, were obtained from plankton catches, described and illustrated. Furthermore, field collected larvae of N. lanceopes were compared with larvae hatched and reared under constant laboratory conditions. The morphology of larvae in both species clearly indicates a planktotrophic and extended mode of larval development. This is an outstanding feature in deep-sea and especially in high-latitudinal caridean shrimp species, and the consequence of such reproductive trait for life history adaptations to both deep-sea and polar environments is discussed.

Egg production, hatching rates, and abbreviated larval development of Campylonotus vagans Bate, 1888 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea), in subantarctic waters

Early life history patterns were studied in the caridean shrimp, Campylonotus vagans Bate, 1888, from the subantarctic Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego). As a consequence of very large egg size (minimum 1.4 mm), fecundity was low, ranging from 83 to 608 eggs per female (carapace length [CL] 11–22.5 mm). Egg size increased continuously throughout embryonic development, reaching prior to hatching about 175% of the initial diameter. Due to low daily numbers of larval release, hatching of an egg batch lasted for about 2–3 weeks. The complete larval and early juvenile development was studied in laboratory cultures fed with Artemia sp. nauplii. At 7.0±0.5 °C, development from hatching to metamorphosis lasted for about 6 weeks. It comprised invariably two large zoeal stages and one decapodid, with mean stage durations of 12, 17, and 15 days, respectively. Larvae maintained without food survived on average for 18 days (maximum: 29 days), but did not reach the moult to the zoea II stage. Size increments at ecdysis were low in all larval stages (2.1–3.9%), indicating partial utilisation of internal energy reserves. A clearly higher increment (14%) was observed in the moult from the first to the second juvenile stage. Low fecundity, large size of eggs and larvae, an abbreviated mode of larval development, high larval survival rates during absence of food, demersal behaviour of the early life history stages, and an extended hatching period with low daily release rates are interpreted as adaptations to conditions typically prevailing in subantarctic regions, namely low temperatures (causing long durations of development) in combination with a pronounced seasonality in plankton production (i.e., short periods of food availability).

Patterns of genetic variability in Brazilian Littorinids (Mollusca): a macrogeographic approach

Macrogeographic studies are important for understanding gene flow patterns, and comparative data for related species with distinct bionomical traits may help to clarify the importance of such traits in natural populations. The aims of this study were to quantify the genetic variability and the populational structuring of three Brazilian littorinid species (Nodilittorina lineolata, Littoraria flava and L. angulifera) and to discuss the relationship between them, as well as each species’ mode of development and spatial distribution. We also investigated the species diversity in the ziczac complex. Isozyme analyses were done on 20 samples of N. lineolata, nine of L. flava and 10 of L. angulifera, collected along 4000 km of the Brazilian coast. Sixteen polymorphic loci were analysed in N. lineolata, 15 in L. angulifera and 17 in L. flava. All species showed high genetic variability. At sites where more than one species was present, there was a correlation among the values of gene diversity.The degree of interpopulational differentiation (N. lineolata, FST = 0.028; L. flava, FST = 0.054; L. angulifera, FST = 0.185) was coherent with the mode of larval development of each species. No linkage disequilibrium was found in N. lineolata. These findings, together with morphological evidence, corroborated the existence of only one species of the ziczac complex along the Brazilian coast.