Trochophore
A - episphere
B - hyposphere
1 - ganglia
2 - apical tuft
3 - prototroch
4 - metatroch
5 - nephridium
6 - anus
7 - protonephridia
8 - gastrointestinal tract
9 - buccal opening
10 - blastocoele
A trochophore (Template:IPAc-enTemplate:RefnTemplate:Refn) is a type of free-swimming planktonic marine larva with several bands of cilia.
By moving their cilia rapidly, they make a water eddy to control their movement, and to bring their food closer in order to capture it more easily.
OccurrenceEdit
Trochophores exist as a larval form within the trochozoan clade, which include the entoprocts, molluscs, annelids (including echiurans and sipunculans) and nemerteans. Together, these phyla make up part of the Lophotrochozoa; it is possible that trochophore larvae were present in the life cycle of the group's common ancestor.
EtymologyEdit
The term trochophore derives from the ancient Greek Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "wheel", and Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl) — or Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl) —, meaning 'to bear, to carry',<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> because the larva is bearing a wheel-shaped band of cilia.
Feeding habitsEdit
Trochophore larvae are often planktotrophic; that is, they feed on other plankton species.
Life cycleEdit
The example of the development of the annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii (family Serpulidae) shows various trochophore stages (image: D-F):
D - early trochophore ;
E - complete trochophore ;
F - late trochophore ;
G - metatrochophore.
