Marine Invertebrate Larvae in Hong Kong Waters
Cnidaria
Classification: Cnidaria (Phylum) > Hydrozoa (Class) > Hydroodolina (Subclass) > Leptothecata (Order) > Campanulariidae (Family) > Obelia (Genus)
Classification: Cnidaria (Phylum) > Anthozoa (Class) > Ceriantharia (Subclass)
Mollusca
Classification: Mollusca (Phylum) > Gastropoda (Class)
Classification: Mollusca (Phylum) > Bivalvia (Class)
Phoronidae
Classification: Phoronida (Phylum) > Phronoidae (Family)
Classification: Phoronida (Phylum) > Phronoidae (Family)
Other Meroplankton
Cirripedia
Classification: Arthropoda (Phylum) > Crustacea (Subphylum) > Multicrustacea (Superclass) > Hexanaulia (Class) > Thecostraca (Subclass) > Cirripedia (Infraclass)
Classification: Arthropoda (Phylum) > Crustacea (Subphylum) > Multicrustacea (Superclass) > Hexanaulia (Class) > Thecostraca (Subclass) > Cirripedia (Infraclass) > Thoracica (Superorder) > Lepadiformes (Order) > Lepadomorpha (Suborder) > Poecilasmatidae (Family) > Octolasmis (Genus)
Echinodermata
Classification: Echinodermata (Phylum) > Asterozoa (Subphylum) > Asteroidea (Class)
Classification: Echinodermata (Phylum) > Asterozoa (Subphylum) > Ophiuroidea (Class) Ophiopluteus Common name: Brittle star
Classification: Echinodermata (Phylum) > Asterozoa (Subphylum) > Ophiuroidea (Class) Juvenile stage Common name: Brittle star
Classification: Echinodermata (Phylum) Echinopluteus
Tunicata
Classification: Chordata (Phylum) > Tunicata (Subphylum) >Ascidiacea (Class) Tadpole larva
Polychaeta
Classification: Annelida (Phylum) > Polychaeta (Class)
Brachiopoda
Classification: Brachiopoda (Phylum)
Meroplankton are members of the plankton community that spend only part of their life in the pelagic. These include most larval forms of marine invertebrates and are essentially the dispersal stages of animals that may later settle to the bottom and adopt a benthic mode of life as adults.
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Included in this section are the various meroplanktonic groups that are not crabs, hermit crabs, or shrimps.