During the mating process, two worms line up inverted from each other to exchange sperm. The clitellum forms a slime tube filled with albuminous fluid. One worm will move forward out of the slime tube, passing over the opposing female pores and picking up eggs. The worm will continue to move out of the tube passing over the spermatheca of the opposing worm and collecting stored sperm and fertilizing the recently collected eggs. The slime tube will close off as soon as the worm exits completely, and form an "egg cocoon" in the soil.
Spermatheca
- male pores that store spermatozoa (sperm)
- each worm has two spermatheca
- each worm has two pores designed to receive sperm from another worm
- female organs that produce eggs
- forms slime tube that facilitates mating
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| http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~rlenet/Earthworms.html |
