Stress and deviant reproduction in echinoderms

Normal reproductive characteristics in echinoderms include non-maternal nut rition with a planktonic feeding developmental stage, sexual reproduction w ith gonochorism, seasonal reproduction, and no protection of young by secon dary metabolites. Deviant reproductive characteristics include maternal nut rition of the developmental stage that may be planktonic, demersal, or broo ded; hermaphroditic sexual reproduction; intermittent or continuous tow-lev el reproduction; protection of young by secondary metabolites; and asexual reproduction. We tested the hypothesis that stress, which causes a decrease in capacity for production, was a factor responsible for deviant reproduct ive characteristics by comparing taxa from the subphylum to species levels. In the examples used, deviant reproduction occurred in the taxa for which stress could be predicted. Although other factors undoubtably affect reprod uctive characteristics, the analysis indicates that stress must be consider ed an important one.