Question

What is the reproductive specialty of annelids?

Answer 1

Hint: The annelids are often referred to as hermaphroditic organisms. Some annelids are earthworms and leeches. Hermaphroditic doesn’t mean self - fertilizing the organism.

Step by step answer:An organism that has complete or partial reproductive organs and produces gametes associated with both male and female sexes is called hermaphroditic. These groups of organisms do not have separate sexes. The specialty of annelids regarding reproduction is that they can reproduce sexually or asexually depending upon their species. The earthworm is an example of hermaphroditic annelid consisting of both male and female reproductive parts. Hermaphroditic doesn’t mean self - fertilizing the organism. During the process of sexual reproduction in the earthworm, they meet up and align their body in the opposite direction and the exchange of sperm takes place. There are also some species of annelids that can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Examples of such species are polychaeta and oligochaeta. Leech is an example that can only reproduce sexually. Oligochaetes are also an example of hermaphrodites. Marine polychaetes must undergo a major physical transformation known as epitoky to reproduce sexually. Polychaetes also reproduce asexually by budding off new offspring and the parent remains a complete organism.
Additional information: Earthworms are called farmers' friends because they contribute to the soil fertility making the soil moist and suitable for agriculture. Scientists are carrying out research to study aquatic annelids to monitor the oxygen content, salinity, and pollution levels in fresh and marine water.

Note: Leeches never reproduce asexually. Annelids belong to the group of most complex animals that can regenerate from a single segment even after getting damaged severely. On the contrary, leeches cannot regenerate.