ABSTRACT
Strong morphological and architectural differences occur both between species and within species during the post-larval ontogeny of Echinocardium. Such patterns of variation can be accurately depicted by shape analysis using landmarks. An attempt grounded on a set of 42 homologous points of the aboral surface of the test is performed. Least square analyses are performed to depict the growth of E. cordatum, and to compare adult specimens of E. fenauxi, E. lymani and E. pennatifidum. The results are expressed as vector fields and maps which give size-independent representations of the amount of morphological differences between two ontogenetic steps or between two species.
