On the early development of Protula tubularia (Montagu)

Abstract

The growth of serpulid polychaetes inside marine aquaria and the consequent need for their frequent cleaning is a common experience. Ever since the experimental aquarium of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Station has been in operation, where unfiltered sea water is being circulated, a large number of serpulids were observed to grow either as solitary individuals or sometimes in clusters inside the concrete tanks, particularly in the less illuminated corners and grooves. These were carefully scrapped out from the substratum and were identified as Protula tubularia (Montagu), a species widely known from circumraundane areas. Hewever, since Willey (1905) recorded this species from the Ceylon Pearl Oyster beds and described it as Protula (Protulopsis) palliata (but considered as a synonymy of Protula tubularia by Fauvel in 1953), there do not seem to be other collections from the Indian Ocean. The Indian Museum material includes only the anterior portion of a specimen of Protula from Andamans whose specific identity had not been ascertained (Fauvel, 1932). Owing to the hardy nature of the eggs and the ease with which they can be reared in the laboratory, serpuhds have received comparatively greater attention among polychaetes as regards their development. For a review on the subject the reader is invited to the account on the development of Pomatoceros triqueter by Segrove (1941). It is apparent from literature that similar studies on tropical species are lacking and, therefore, a brief description of the early development in Protula is given below.