Yes it is true. The earthworm is a hermaphrodite annelid, which means that it has both male and female reproductive systems. With this, it is able to produce both sperm and eggs. But even so, she cannot self-fertilize. “For reproduction, the earthworm needs a partner”, says zootechnician Afrânio Guimarães, owner of a company specialized in the creation of earthworms. During mating, the male pores of one face the seminal receptacles of the other, allowing the fertilization of eggs by spermatozoa. At the end of the «courtship», the two worms exchange male gametes and both become fertilized, that is, «pregnant».
Then, each one goes to one side and throws its eggs (about ten) on the ground, which come out wrapped in a kind of cocoon. Each fertilized egg will give rise to a baby. Scientists estimate that one earthworm is capable of producing approximately 500 worms per year. There are about 2,000 species of this animal – classified within the order of annelids – known in the world. Here in Brazil, the most common are the swamp worm (Pheretima hawayana), the night worm (Lumbricus terrestris), which can measure an impressive 30 centimeters, and the California red worm (Eisenia phoetida), the most sought after by breeders because it produces humus (an excrement used as organic fertilizer) in large quantities, in addition to reproducing quickly.
ALTERNATING TECHNIQUES
Planarians (Girardia tigrina) are worms with a flattened and elongated body as if it were a ribbon. They measure from 5 to 25 millimeters and live in sea and fresh water, although there are some species that inhabit humid soils. Planarians are hermaphrodites and can reproduce sexually or asexually. In the first case, fertilization occurs with the exchange of spermatozoa with a partner, exactly as earthworms do. In asexual reproduction, they divide their body into two equal parts, giving rise to another animal.
LONG DATING
Worldwide there are more than 4 thousand species of snails, terrestrial molluscs also endowed with both sexes. But like earthworms, they only reproduce by exchanging gametes between two individuals. Snail copulation is slow and can take up to ten hours. After fertilization, they dig 5 to 10 cm holes where each individual lays 100 to 300 eggs, which measure 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. The eggs hatch, on average, 30 days after being produced.
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– What is a domestic worm farm?
– Is it true that worms have multiple hearts?
– How do birds find worms in earth biaox?