Notes on the Eggs of Some Laguna 

 Beach Invertebrates 



p. A. LICHTI 



During the past summer a large number of species and individuals 

 were examined for eggs. Some of these fragmentary notes may 

 be of use to others who may carry the study further. 



The serpent stars were not especially studied for the eggs, but 

 during July several hundred were collected from various places. 

 These were mostly of one species. About one-third of these con- 

 tained well developed ova. On July 14th and 20th, six individuals 

 of the genus Ophiolhrix deposited eggs in the aquarium jars. Dur- 

 ing August three out of twenty specimens had ova well developed, 

 many may have been young. 



Comparatively few female sea urchins were found. Out of 50 

 individuals opened, 36 were males, six females, and the rest young. 

 Miss Wang also found that the males were more numerous than 

 the females as they were collected, four to one. Miss Wang was 

 able to keep the sperm alive for 96 hours in the laboratory before 

 we had running salt water. 



In the common shore goose neck barnacle Mitella, ova and seg- 

 mentation stages were found during the summer. 



The common rock crab, Pachygrapstis, was examined many times 

 during July and very few adult females were without eggs. During 

 the same day mature ova and advanced embryos were found. 

 August 10th, about half the females were without eggs. On Sep- 

 tember 4th, about two-thirds were without eggs. The early sum- 

 mer seems the more active spawning season. 



A live female deeper sea crab, Loporhynchiis, was caught on 

 June 25th. The enormous mass of eggs was unsegmented and 

 failed to segment in the laboratory, although the animal was kept 

 alive for some time. On July 20th, another female was caught, 

 the embryos were well advanced and it was possible to see the heart 

 beat under the microscope. They lived only a few hours. 



