| Description of life cycle and mating behavior |
Reproduction is strictly sexual (Ref. 100409). Broadcast spawner. Larval settlement at metamorphosis are dependent on the availability of adult's cemented sand tubes (Ref. 100443). Plantotrophic larvae undergo an 18-day pelagic development at 20°C; afterwards they begin to explore the substrate for possible settlement; it is positively phototactic and an active swimmer, upon development of its tentacles it becomes positively geotactic and crawls on the substrate in search of settlement. Its tentacles are used for anchoring and exploring the substrate (Ref. 100429).
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