ABSTRACT
No larvae retained the ability to survive and develop successfully if starved for more than 6 days. «The point of no return» for this species is between the 6th and 8th day after fertilization. Total survival time under complete starvation was 14 days. The time to first feeding affected larval development. Larvae fed 2 days after fertilization had faster developmental and growth rates and higher percentage survival than those for which feeding was initiated on the fourth and sixth day. By the 14th day after fertilization, the significant differences in larval sizes and sizes of the right and left coelomic pouches for larvae fed on the fourth and sixth day had disappeared. With starvation, the right coelomic pouch was more affected than the left coelomic pouch. Initial larval sizes and the development of the coelomic pouches of L. clathrata larvae are good indicators of initial reserves in the egg.
