ABSTRACT 
Some aspects of the biology of Melongena melongena (l!) 
are described with special reference to its feeding, reproduction 
and population dynamics. 
The species of bivalves used for food are listed and the 
method of attack is described. The proboscis is inserted between 
the valves of a feeding animal and the flesh is rasped until the 
animal is killed, after which more vigorous feeding actions remove 
the remaining flesh. The anatomy of the Odontophoral Mass is 
described. 
The anatomy of the reproductive ducts of the adults and the 
structure of the egg capsules are described. The latter are laid 
in strings of which one end forms an anchor piece which is buried 
in the substratum. Embryonic development takes approximately 
twenty-eight days. There aire no food eggs and "embryonic canni­
balism" was never observed. 
The process of embryonic development is described. 
The velum is retained at hatching and veligers are released from 
the capsules. In the laboratory settlement was observed to occur 
not longer than two days after escape from the capsule. 
The majority of animals in the intertidal population of 
M. melongena were less than 60 mm. long. It was estimated that 
animals grew to this length after approximately twenty-four months 
in the intertidal region. The intertidal population was composed 
of animals between 30 mm. and 60 mm. at the beginning of the spawning 
season and these animals had an average growth increment of 0.38 mm./week. 
During the spawning season the population was supplemented by new animals 
which had a higher growth increment of 0.85 mm./week. These animals grew 
rapidly and gradually combined with older animals while the latter 
disappeared from the population. Thus every year the intertidal popu­
lation was replaced by new animals during and after the spawning season 
which were in turn replaced the following year.