Release of planula larvae, settlement and development of Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868 (Anthozoa, Scleractinia)

We herein provide the first observations on planulation, larval development, and metamorphosis of Siderastrea stellata, an endemic reef-building species that occurs along the northeastern and southeastern coasts of Brazil. The release and settlement of larvae were observed in two distinct periods. The first started 3 days after collection on January 28 during the last quarter, whereas the second started 2 months later, on April 10 during the change from new moon to the first quarter. Planulation continued throughout approximately 48 h. Brooded larvae released from the mouth contained zooxanthellae, and underwent settlement after 48 h. Newly extruded larvae stayed in close contact with parental polyps. Fusion was observed among larvae from the same colony. The first septal cycle was formed by day 2–3, while the third cycle of exosepta became evident 15 days after protosepta development. The development of the corallite of primary polyp was slow, and after 9 months of analyses no evidence of budding was obtained, this indicating that colonial development is likely to be a late event in the S. stellata life history.