ABSTRACT
The reproductive strategy of the ophiuroid Acrocnida brachiata from a muddy fine-sand community in the Bay of Seine (English Channel) was studied from May 1981 to September 1983. Sexual maturity staging of the gonads and oocyte diameter measurements indicate a well-defined annual reproductive cycle. Onset of gonad development octured in the late summer and autumn. Reproduction took place in May-June. This species showed an iteroparous reproduction with the first spawning within the second or third year of life. Most of individuals spawned at least two or three times in their lifetime. The medium-sized egg diameters (between 180 and 350 pm) and intermediate level of fecundity (11 noo eggs per female) indicate an abbreviated larval development.
