Early juvenile development of deep-sea asteroids of the NE Atlantic Ocean,with notes on juvenile bathymetric distributions

The postmetamorphic ontogenesis of 11 deep-sea asteroid species is describe d. Juvenile bathymetric distributions are compared to adults. The deep-sea juvenile asteroids of the NE Atlantic could be distinguished to species lev el from a very early stage of development. In all species, except Porcellan aster ceruleus and Plinthaster dentatus, the arms grow faster than the body . In Porcellanaster ceruleus and Plinthaster dentatus, early growth is near ly isometric. In the appearance of the epiproctal cone, the change in form of the furrow and apical spines, the early development of the cribriform or gan adjacent to the madreporite and the appearance of sediment in the stoma ch indicate that Porcellanaster ceruleus is likely to undergo a shift in ha bitat and diet during the juvenile phase. Porcellanaster ceruleus is probab ly a predator on meiofauna and small macrofauna during the early stages of life, changing to a burrowing lifestyle ingesting sediment particles. Juven ile sea stars showed wider bathymetric distributions than their adult count erparts, suggesting that events occurring during the early stages of life a re important for the maintenance of the local population structure and dive rsity in the deep NE Atlantic.