Reproduction
Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, that is they are both male and female at the same time. When a pair of nudbranchs mate each fertilises the other and both lay eggs. They live quite short lives, perhaps from 3 months to a year. They genrally live solitary lives but may spend several hours mating.
Left - Risbeckia tryoni showing "trailing behaviour" before mating. Centre - Hypselodoris Benneti mating. Right - various nudibranch eggs, the pink ones belong to as Spanish Dancer, the others are unidentified.
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Wobbegongs give birth to live pups. The one pictures left has a large white mark on the shoulder. The skin in this area has been completely removed exposing the underlying muscle. This is believed to be a wound inflicted during mating where the male would have used his teeth to hang on to the female. |