Assignment

Different larval stages of oyster

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Introduction
To complete its life cycle oyster goes through different life stages.
It life stages are divided into three categories-
 Planktonic
 Planktonic (free swimming)
 Sessile

Planktonic life stages.

Once the egg is fertilized, it begins to divide and goes through 2 cell stage 4 cell stageMorula
(2hrPF)Blastula (3hpf) Gastrula (12hpf).
Morula- The embryo at 16 celled stage is called the morula. It is the mass of cells resulting from the
cleavage of the zygote before the formation of a blastula.
Blastula- At the 32-cell stage of division, the embryo is known as a blastula that contains inner cell mass
and outer cell mass.
Gastrula- The blastula precedes the formation of the gastrula, in which the germ layers of the embryo
form. Gastrula is the embryo at the stage succeeding blastula when it is a cup-shaped structure composed
of three layers of cells.

Planktonic (free swimming) life stages.

Trochophore-

 First free-swimming larval stage.

 A trochophore is a type of free-swimming planktonic marine larva with several bands of cilia.
 By moving their cilia rapidly, they make a water eddy, to control their movement, and to bring their
food closer, to capture it more easily.
 It is pear shaped and measures about 0.5 mm in length.
 A circle of preoral cilia, the prototroch or velum divides the body into two unequal parts, the upper one
consists of prostomium whereas the lower part bearing mouth and anus

D-shape larvae-

 Transition stage between trochophore and veliger stage,

 SHAPE- D – shaped
 Formed 27-hour post hatching.
Veliger-

 This stage in the life history of these groups is a free-living planktonic organism; this mode of life
potentially enhances dispersal to new regions far removed from the adult molluscs that produced
the larvae.
 The general structure of the veliger includes a shell that surrounds the visceral organs of the larva
(e.g., digestive tract, much of the nervous system, excretory organs) and a ciliated velum that
extends beyond the shell as a single or multi-lobed structure used for swimming and particulate
food collection: veliger signifies "velum bearer."
 Formed 7 days post fertilisation.
 Between the bases of velar lobes, the anterior end of the larva is provided with eyes and tentacles.
 The larval kidneys are paired and generally symmetrical organs situated at the anterior end of the body.

Pediveliger-

 A foot usually bearing an operculum is present

 Formed 15 days post fertilization.

Sessile stage
Spat (Plantigrade)-

 After development of foot larvae starts settling on substratum and at this stage larvae are called as
spat.
 Formed after 3-month post hatching.