L. sitkana with possible egg
mass found in Auke Bay
L. sitkana with possible egg
mass found in Auke Bay
| L. sitkana can breed at any time of the year, but egg masses are more common in April and October. Each egg has a diameter of approximately 175 um and is surrounded by an envelope of albumen and a thick capsule. Eggs are contained in a benthic gelatinous mass of 50-150 eggs, 5-15 mm long. To help prevent desiccation, females often lay their eggs together. L. sitkana completes full development, including the veliger stage, inside the egg. In comparison Littorina scutulata, a close relative, hatch as juveniles directly into the sea. As the veliger develops the egg mass shifts in color, from yellow to pink to red. The rate of this change depends on the temperature of the water, but at 10-11ºC the juvenile L. sitkana hatches in 30 days. Upon hatching its shell is 0.45 x 0.575 mm. L. sitkana lives up to two years and their shells can reach up to 2 cm. |
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