The genus Deroceras Rafinesque, 1820 (the largest genus of terrestrial slugs) shows a high diversity of penis morphologies and mating behaviors. The function of most of the appending external and internal penial structures, some of them truly bizarre, is largely unknown. This paper reviews mating behavior and reproduction, based on data on 16 species from the literature and from unpublished obs...

Females of numerous animal taxa can secure important indirect genetic benefits by mating multiply, either by increasing the genetic diversity of their offspring, acquiring ‘good genes’, avoiding genetic incompatibility, or diluting inbreeding effects (Jennions & Petrie 2000; Kokko et al. 2002; Zeh & Zeh 2003). Only by mating with different partners, however, can females secure the diverse ejacu...

The skink Trachylepis atlantica is endemic to the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. Although this species abundant in archipelago, it increasingly threatened by invasive species, predation, and anthropic interference. However, little known about its natural history. Here we report on territory use, male-male combat, mating behaviour of freeranging T. atlantica. During dry season, observed two bo...

Sexually selected infanticide (SSI) is often presumed to be rare among seasonal breeders, because it would require a near immediate return to estrus after the loss of an entire litter during the mating season. We evaluated changes in reproductive strategies and the reproductive fate of females that experienced litter loss during the mating season in a seasonal breeder with strong evidence for S...

The slightly anisogamous gametes of Ulva lactuca exhibit a cruciate flagellar root system consisting of 4 microtubular roots (4-2-4-2 system) and an elaborate system of fibrous roots associated with the 2-stranded microtubular roots. Two fibres (32-nm striation periodicity; system I fibres) closely underlie each of the 2-stranded roots, while different fibres (150-nm striation periodicity; syst...