ABSTRACT
Subcuticular bacteria (SCB) occur beneath the cuticle of many species of echinoderms and may have a role in uptake of dissolved organic matter. The mechanism of transmission of SCB from one generation to the next has not yet been determined but could be through the gametes and larvae (vertical transmission), or larvae or adults might be infected from free living bacteria. In the present study the larvae of the sea urchins Pseudechinus albocinctus and P. huttoni and the brittlestar Ophiocoma bollonsi, all of which contain SCB, were induced to spawn and the larvae reared through to juveniles. They were examined throughout development by epiflorescent light microscopy (ELM) and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to determine if and when SCB occur in the larval or juvenile tissues.
