Reproduction and Life Cycle

Little is known about the reproduction and life cycle of the species in the Isognomonidae family. The prodissoconchm, larval shell of isognomonids is similar to a planktotrophic pterioid. This prodissoconch suggests the possibility of species in the family of Isognomonidae to be of broadcast spawners of their larva. The dispersed larva is also thought to undergo lecithotrophic development. The umbones are usually used as references of the earliest ontogeny of bivalves, however for these species belonging to the Isognomonidae family, this is not true. The umbone is not obviously gyrate and thus inhibiting possibility of using the umbone as reference of it ontogeny. Additionally, the larval shell and ligament growth are also poorly studied in the past and yet to be concluded. (Malchus, 2004)