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Published 1982 | public
Journal Article

Larval abundance and recruitment of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus in Monterey Bay, California, USA

Abstract

Seasonal abundance of planktonic larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus was determined in Monterey Bay, California, USA. Larvae were counted from two offshore stations and also over a coastal sand dollar bed, and these data were compared with settlement in the sand dollar bed, with adult population structure and with adult reproductive condition. These measurements were made during the period July 1978 to October 1980 and in October 1981. Sand dollar larvae were most abundant in the plankton during the summer, a period when phytoplankton productivity tended to be high and currents were relatively slow and variable. In some years, small-scale current variations appeared to prevent many larvae in the open bay from reaching the nearshore sand dollar beds; however, in other years, massive shoreward transport of the larvae evidently did occur, since the adult population in the sand dollar bed exhibited a mode in size, indicating a large settlement. A comparison of settled individuals in 1980 and the adult size-frequency distribution in 1981 gives an estimated mortality rate of 88% yr^(-1) for early juveniles of D. excentricus.

Additional Information

© 1982 Springer-Verlag. Date of final manuscript acceptance: August 2, 1982. Communicated by N. D. Holland, La Jolla. This study could not have been completed without the generous support of the Center for Coastal Marine Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, through Director W. Doyle. The cheerful assistance of the crew of the R. V. "Scammon" is gratefully acknowledged also. Sample collection was greatly facilitated by D. Colton, O. Monterrosa and diving partners too numerous to mention by name. J. Morin and J. Kastendiek kindly provided an unpublished manuscript containing pertinent data. This manuscript was improved through critical readings by A. Shanks, P. Yoshioka, and R. Appledoorn. The figures were expertly rendered by L. Bard and the text typed by S. Fitzmaurice.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 19, 2023