Ricerche sul gonocorismo ed ermufroditismo nei Poriferi

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The sexual behaviour of four species of Demosponges, three oviparous Hadro-merina with small eggs and one viviparous Halichondrina with large eggs has been studied on populations occurring in the Bay of Naples. In the three species of Hadromerina which have been examined various sexual conditions have been found: contemporary hermaphroditism in Cliona viridis, successive proteroginous hermaphroditism in Polymastia mammillaris, possibly gonochorism in Aaplos aaptos (where heterologous sexual elements ripe at the same time). In the Halichondrina Hymeniacidon sanguinea heterologous sexual elements ripe at the same time in different specimens, but the sex ratio is anomalous and in almost all the specimens, more frequent, with male cells, ovocytes are present which degenerate during growth. This is therefore a condition of labile gonochorism or potential hermaphroditism. Finally the A. has remarked a different type of maturation of homologous sexual elements in the species which have been examined: synchronous in P. mammillaris and asynchronous in H. sanguinea.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: