Life History & Behaviour

Terebellidae worms life history can vary immensely and for Loimia it has not been completely documented. The first trochophore-metatrochophore stage involves a planktonic larvae within a tube, followed by a short-lived intermediate benthic stage. Afterward, a second planktonic stage, the aulophore, settle down after approximately two months and being similar in morphology to the late benthic stage of others Terebellidae such as EupoIymnia nebulose. The species Loimia medusa is monotelic what means the individuals will only breed once per lifetime releasing gametes in a few large sets with reproduction happening during the summer months. This species population exhibits reproductive synchronized events relative to the lunar cycle.The developing pattern for L. medusa is one sexual active population during the winter and producing one or more fast growing sexual active cohorts during the summer. Subsequently, summer-spawned individuals would have sufficiently high growth and maturation rates to spawn through the same season to yield at least one cohort that will overwinter into the next year. The adaptive implication of such timing is still unclear but may involve predator evading, increased fertilization efficiency and dispersal capability with synchronized spawning.