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A description of the spermatheca of Spirorbis spirorbis (L.) (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) and evidence for a novel mode of sperm transmission

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

John M. Daly
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, England
David W. Golding
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, England

Extract

Brood protection is characteristic of the Spirorbinae although the mode of protection differs widely between species (Bailey, 1969; Knight-Jones, Knight-Jones & Vine, 1972). The way in which these protected eggs are successfully fertilized has been a subject of speculation (Gee & Williams, 1965; Franzen, 1956; Potswald, 1968). Individuals of the Spirorbinae are simultaneous hermaphrodites and the possible role of self-fertilization in their reproduction has been considered (Gee & Williams, 1965; Potswald, 1968). In the past, these problems have been discussed with the tacit assumption that no spermatheca is present in the Spirorbinae.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1977

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