ABSTRACT: Littorina brevicula (Philippi) is a small herbivorous gastropod, abundant on most rocky shores of Korea. In spite of its ecological importance as a dominant grazer, few studies have addressed its reproductive biology. The present study reports reproductive characteristics of L. brevicula, based on field and laboratory observations and experiments in Pusan, southern Korea. Histological examination showed that minimum size of sexual maturation was about 6.0 mm shell length in both males and females. Males searched for mates by random movement, and there was no size-assortative mating pattern. The main spawning period was winter (December to April), and the critical seawater temperature to induce spawning was 12.0°C. Under laboratory conditions, it took 7 d from spawning to hatching as a veliger larva (11.0 to 13.0°C). Mean sizes of the egg capsule and egg were 465 and 135 µm respectively and the mean number of eggs produced by a female was 247 (101 to 373).

KEY WORDS: Reproduction · Littorina brevicula · Korea

Published in MEPS Vol. 172 (1998) on October 22
ISSN: 0171-8630. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1998