A tornaria is the planktonic larva of some species of Hemichordata such as the acorn worms.[1][2] It is very similar in appearance to the bipinnaria larvae of starfishes, with convoluted bands of cilia running around the body.[1] It is an oval shaped, transparent larva. The diameter of the body is about 3 mm. It has an apical plate, which is a thickened region provided by a tuft of cilia and a pair of eye spots. The larva has a complete alimentary canal. The ciliary band stretches throughout the anterior and posterior region, and also the postoral region.
- ^ a b Nakajima Y; Humphreys T; Kaneko H; Tagawa K. (January 2004). "Development and neural organization of the tornaria larva of the Hawaiian hemichordate, Ptychodera flava". Zoological Science. 21 (1): 69–78. doi:10.2108/0289-0003(2004)21[69:DANOOT]2.0.CO;2. PMID 14745106.
- ^ "tornaria". Merriam-Webster. 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.