ONTOGENY AND SETTLEMENT OF THE DATE MUSSEL LITHOPHAGA-LITHOPHAGA (L, 1758) (BIVALVIA, MYTILIDAE)

This paper describes larval and post-larval forms of the date mussel, Lithophaga lithophaga, produced by artificial reproduction, the cultur e of larvae collected in plankton samples. and the culture of recently settled spat. Also described are methods for spawning and stages of o ntogenesis. The settlement substrates were determined, and the density of the individuals, size composition, number of changes in growth axi s, and occurrence of white-shelled, abnormal, and pearl-bearing indivi duals were studied. The material which was examined came from samples of settled L. lithophaga collected from 16 stations in the Evoikos Gul f.