| Main Ref. | Prent, P., 2013 |
| Mode | dioecism |
| Fertilization | internal (oviduct) |
| Spawning Frequency | throughout the year, but peaking once |
| Batch Spawner | No |
| Reproductive Guild |
nonguarders Open water/substratum egg scatterers |
| Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Copulation may precede spawning. Spawning occurs on a type of calcareous sand formed from the fragmentation of coral reefs, including large quantities of calcareous skeletal remains from small molluscs and calcareous algae. Females deposit the egg mass on the substrate (Ref. 105320). Life cycle: Eggs hatch into veligers after 3-5 days which feed on phytoplankton; after 21 days they undergo metamorphosis (juvenile stage) where they remain buried in the sand and emerge in seagrass beds to feed; adults return to the shallow inshore waters to spawn. |
| Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |