Question:

Brachiolaria is the larval stage of

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Keep larval stages of echinoderms memorized:
- Starfish = Bipinnaria and Brachiolaria.
- Sea Cucumber = Auricularia.
- Sea Urchin = Pluteus (Echinopluteus).
  • Sea cucumber
  • Starfish
  • Sea anemone
  • Hermit crab
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Marine invertebrates, particularly echinoderms, have complex lifecycles featuring distinct, free-swimming ciliated larval stages.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

In the life cycle of a starfish (class Asteroidea):
- The fertilized egg develops first into a ciliated, bilaterally symmetrical bipinnaria larva.
- The bipinnaria then grows specialized adhesive arms/structures, transforming into the brachiolaria larva.
- The brachiolaria eventually settles on the substrate, attaches via its adhesive disk, and metamorphoses into a pentaradially symmetrical juvenile starfish.

Step 3: Final Answer:

Brachiolaria is the larval stage of the starfish, corresponding to option (B).
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