Developmental pathways of anthozoans

Stage of propagule release from female parent, and site of development and nutritive mode of embryo are the factors used here to define developmental pathways of anthozoans. Nearly every possible combination of variables of the 3 factors exists, forming a mosaic. Further, a larva may experience serially more than one development site, and may derive nutrition serially or simultaneously from more than a single source. Thus, no fundamental patterns appear to exist. This is probably due to the simplicity of cnidarians, which constrains their development far less than that of other animals.