REPRODUCTIVE-BIOLOGY, TAXONOMY, AND ASPECTS OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF LATRUNCULIIDAE (PORIFERA)

Sexual reproduction has been observed for the first time within the wi dely distributed sponge family, the Latrunculiidae. Latrunculia magnif ica Keller 1889 was studied mainly in the northern Red Sea in the Gulf of Eilat and the Gulf of Suez. The sponge is hermaphroditic and vivip arous. The embryo develops to a large (mean 868 +/- 144 mu m, max. 120 0 mu m) parenchymella larva. The period of reproduction lasts for seve ral months, ceasing only during the winter. Like oocytes, sperm appear to develop from archeocytes, which is uncommon among sponges. The pre sence of brooded larvae in L. magnifica supports the position of Latru nculiidae within the order Poecilosclerida, subclass Ceractinomorpha, rather than within the Tetractinomorpha. The absence of a periflagella r sleeve from around the base of the choanocyte's flagellum lends furt her support to this idea. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of secondary metabolites within the sponge and its nudibranch predator ( Chromodoris quadricolor) confirms that both species contain the same l atrunculin homologue (either A or B). The latter finding indicates the presence of a compound derived from the diet (i.e., sponge) within th e nudibranch.