SEQUENTIAL REPRODUCTION BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPECIMENS OF THE ESTUARINE SPONGE,HALICHONDRIA SP., WITH AN EMPHASIS ON REPRODUCTION OF POSTLARVAL SPECIMENS

Young specimens of Halichondria sp., recently developed from larvae (postlarval specimens), engage in sexual reproduction; and reproductive activity increases with specimen size. Reproduction by such specimens takes place primarily during a period after breeding by the parental generation has declined. This fact suggests that environmental conditions are favorable for reproduction for an extended period of time and that reproduction is to a large extent under endogenous control.