Spermatophores
Spermatophores (German: seed packets ) are used for sperm transmission in many worms , arthropods , molluscs and in some fish and amphibians ( newts ) .
These are clusters of sperm that are held together by certain cement substances that are created in special attachment glands of the genital organs.
The males bring them into the female body in various ways, for example by direct introduction, by pinning or by dragging the female over the seed packets attached to the stalks on the ground. The silverfish are an exception , in which the male lays down a packet of seeds that is then found by the female.
The transfer of spermatophores represents a possibility of copulation that leads to internal fertilization . As a rule, the spermatophores are transferred after a complicated foreplay. This form of mating means that fewer sperm are required than with external fertilization.
literature
- Christina Neuner: The function of the spermatophore in the mating system of Thanatophilus sinuatus (Coleoptera Silphidae). Protein biochemical studies and determination of reproductive success . Dissertation , University of Freiburg im Breisgau 1996 ( DNB 947049711 ).
Web links
- Spermatophores in squids ( memento from March 1, 2010 in the Internet Archive ).