Egg to juvenile period, generation time, and the evolution of larval type in marine invertebrates

Abstract

A conceptual model shows how reduction of the pre-metamorphic, or "egg-to-juvenile' period either increases size at reproduction (by increasing the benthic (post-metamorphic) development period in the case of species with fixed duration life cycles), or decreases overall generation times (in species with fixed size or age at reproduction, and variable life cycle duration). In either case, the net result is an increase in fitness. A simple analytical version of this model is derived and is illustrated with data from two species of nudibranch mollusc. -from Author