Harpacticoid copepods are gonochoristic and fertilization is by copulation involving the attachment of a spermatophore by the male to the copulatory pore of the female. Sperm are stored in the female seminal receptacle, the eggs are fertilized as they emerge into the genital antrum and are united by their outer membranes to form a single or double egg-sac. Brood size varies from about three (in many interstitial species) to over 100 (in some phytal species) with the norm in the range of 15-30 eggs per brood. The number of broods per single copulation varies from 2-15 (in laboratory cultured species) and some species prduce broods throughout the year (most common in phytal habitats) whilst others have a well defined breeding season. Harpacticoids have direct benthic development and pass throughout six naupliar stages followed by a six copepodite stages, copepodite VI being the adult.
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