Trochophore Information & Trochophore Links at HealthHaven.com

trochophore
A - episphere
B - hyposphere
1 - ganglia
2 - apical tuft
3 - prototroch
4 - metatroch
5 - nephridium
6 - anus 8 - gastrointestinal tract
9 - buccal opening
10 - blastocoele

Bright-field microscope image of trochophore of annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii (family Serpulidae)

A trochophore (pronounced /ˈtrɒkɵfɔər/; also spelled trocophore) is a type of free-swimming planktonic marine larva with several bands of cilia.

By moving their cilia rapidly, a water eddy is created. In this way they control the direction of their movement. Additionally, in this way they bring their food closer, in order to capture it more easily.

[edit] Occurrence

Trochophores are found in the trochozoan phyla, which include the entoprocts, mollusks, annelids, echiurans, 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.

[edit] Feeding habits

Trochophore larvae are often planktotrophic; that is, they feed on plankton.

[edit] Life cycle

Ontogeny of the Polyplacophora: First image shows the trochophore, second shows the stadium in metamorphosis, third is a juvenile Polyplacophoran

Trochophores are hatched from eggs. The stadium of a trochophore larva lasts for a few hours and then it changes into another free-swimming veliger larva (in some gastropods and in some bivalves) or into a metatrochophore or into a postlarvae juvenile which lands on the substrate.

SEM Image of development of the annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii (family Serpulidae) showing the trochophore in images D-F.
D - early trochophore
E - complete trochophore
F - late trochophore
G - metatrochophore