Reproduction and larval morphology of broadcasting and viviparous species in the Cryptasterina species complex

The Cryptasterina group of asterinid sea stars in Australasia comprises cryptic species with derived life histories. C. pentagona and C. hystera have planktonic and intragonadal larvae, respectively. C. pentagona has the gonochoric, free-spawning mode of reproduction with a planktonic lecithotrophic brachiolaria larva. C. hystera is hermaphroditic with an intragonadal lecithotrophic brachiolaria, and the juveniles emerge through the gonopore. Both species have large lipid-rich buoyant eggs and well-developed brachiolariae. Early juveniles are sustained by maternal nutrients for several weeks while the digestive tract develops. C. hystera was reared in vitro through metamorphosis. Its brachiolariae exhibited the benthic exploration and settlement behavior typical of planktonic larvae, and they attached to the substratum with their brachiolar complex. These behaviors are unlikely to be used in the intragonadal environment. The presence of a buoyant egg and functional brachiolaria larva would not be expected in an intragonadal brooder and indicate the potential for life-history reversal to a planktonic existence. Life-history traits of species in the Cryptasterina group are compared with those of other asterinids in the genus Patiriella with viviparous development. Modifications of life-history traits and pathways associated with evolution of viviparity in the Asterinidae are assessed, and the presence of convergent adaptations and clade-specific features associated with this unusual mode of parental care are examined.