more about Polychaetes: external brooding of eggs

[Franz Neidl]

The female of Autolytus species brood embryos and larvae in a brood pouch on the ventral surface of their body.
This worm was unfortunately too long - about 5 mm - so I could photograph only the central part with an achromatic 4x objective. I dont have a 2x objective.
I used a flash from downside (in Köhler illumination) and a small slave-flash from above, because the worm was almost opaque.

Franz

[discomorphella]

Hi Franz--

That looks great, do you think you can keep the worm alive in a culture slide and photograph the eggs hatching?

--David

[Franz Neidl]

Hello David,

Unfortunately I do not know it. I doubt however, that this is possible (because of the changement of water-temperature, feeding of the adult animals ecc. ).

Ciao
Franz