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Reproductive system of gastropods


Gastropods are defined as snails and slugs, belonging to a larger group called MolluscsGastropods have a very unique reproductive system, varying significantly from one taxonomic group to another. They can be separated into three categories: marinefreshwater, and land. Reproducing in marine or freshwater environments makes getting sperm to egg much easier for gastropods, while on land it is much more difficult to get sperm to egg. The majority of gastropods have internal fertilization, but there are some prosobranch species that have external fertilization. Gastropods are capable of being either male or female, or hermaphrodites, and this makes their reproduction system unique amongst many other invertebratesHermaphroditic gastropods possess both the egg and sperm gametes which gives them the opportunity to self-fertilize

Members of the snail family Pulmonata, which includes carboniferous land sails and some freshwater snails of the order Basommatophora, are protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning they are born male and later in life become female. In this family of snails, the male phase ends in December, followed by an egg maturation phase, and ends with oviposition, the act of laying eggs during May of the following year. Phylogenetic evidence for this is present based on the overall condition of the gonads especially in the degree of development of the genital ducts.


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