Common name: Hawaiian acorn worm

Taxon: Hemichordata

Developmental mode: Indirect

Life cycle: Planktonic-planktotrophic

Egg type: Isolecithal

Cleavage type: Holoblastic

Gastrulation type: Invagination

Larval type: Tonaria

See existing Gene expression data.

See species description (coming soon!).

Adult Ptychodera flava are collected from shallow sand flats located either at the leeward shore or at the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Spawning is induced by elevated water temperatures and mature eggs are fertilized by addition of motile sperm. Embryos can be cultured in glass bowls.

Embryos shown below as DIC images have been raised at room temperature in the laboratory. The animal pole is to the top and the vegetal pole to the bottom. The star indicates the position of the mesoderm (protocoel), the square indicates the position of the dorsal hydropore and (*) the position of the ventral mouth opening. (hpf, mpf) hours or month post fertilization, (hpm, dpm) hours or days post metamorphosis.

Added by: Eric Röttinger.