Effects of temperature, salinity-temperature combinations, illumination and the presence of bottom mud on the egg development of neritic copepods Acartia clausi and A. steueri were investigated. Since eggs of both species obtained from various months behaved similarly in haching at various temperatures and in survival during storage within the mud, the eggs of these copepods have the same physiological properties throughout the year (i.e. subitaneous eggs). Resting eggs accumulated within the natural sea-bottom mud are also subitaneous ones, which are merely inhibited from hatching by unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g. low temperature, low oxygen concentration, darkness). The time-release effect of hatching from resting eggs may act to enhance the maintenance of endemic copepod populations in highly variable environments.