THE MATING SEQUENCE OF THE BENTHIC ARROWWORM SPADELLA SCHIZOPTERA

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Abstract
The mating behavior of the hermaphroditic arrowworm, Spadella schizoptera, was followed photographically. The mating behavior consists of four distinct actions: vertical swinging of the worm''s body, touching each other with their heads, standing erect face-to-face, and sperm transfer. During sperm transfer, one worm (donor) jumps suddenly, ejaculates a sperm cluster, and transfers it to the partner (recipient). The well-ordered mating sequence leads to accurate pacement and transfer of the sperm to the genital orifice of the partner. We concluded that sperm transfer in Spadella schizoptera is non-reciprocal: one worm acts as a male and the other as a female.