Morphology, reproduction, ecology and isoenzyme electrophoresis of Capitella complex in Qingdao

Morphology, reproduction, ecology and isoenzyme electrophoresis of a Capitella complex in Qingdao were examined from 1983 to 1984. We determined that the Capitella complex in Qingdao was composed of at least three sibling species:Capitella cf capitata, Capitella sp. I and Capitella sp. Ⅱ. Although these three species are very similar in morphology, they differ in:three kinds of isoenzyme electrophoresis, staining reactions, developmental pattern, larval morphology and dispersal, reproductive strategies, breeding season and population ecology. In addition, they show a series of minor quantitative variations in adult morphology, especially in number and morphology of setae. Such differences can be detected only at the population level. Some ecological data such as density, growth rate, mortality and sex distribution are also provided in this paper.