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Embryological Development Of Cucumaria Curata, Edmund Hobart Smith

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Almost no work has been done on the brooding habits of Cucumaria curata Cowles 1902 from the Pacific Coast of North America. Most of the embryological investigations of holothurians on this coast have been with species having free swimming larval forms (Johnson and Johnson, 1950). Since the majority Holothurians have planktonic larvae, a study of the direct development found in C. curate might prove beneficial in comparing the ecological distribution of this species with those having planktonic larvae. The brooding type of development is found in polar species, but seldom found in warmer waters. This may have some direct effect …