Sea Hare: There's a company to get the job done!
(Image source: Mating chain, Ann DuPont)
Like many snails, sea slugs (looks like a flat worm in the pictures) and earthworms, sea hares are hermaphrodites as they have both male and female reproductive organs. Nevertheless, they are unable to fertilize their own eggs and hereby they require a mate for this purpose. While mating, sea hares can either be acted as a female, or male. As its penis is on the right side of the head while the vagina is located in the mantle cavity, beneath the shell, deep down between the parapodia, and despite of these physical adaptations, it is therefore impossible for the sea hare to function as both female and male at the same time.
(Image source: Sea Hare eggs, Robert Todd)
While mating, three or more sea hares pile up to form a mating chain (they also mate in pairs with one acts as a male, the other as a female, but they usually occur in the crowded numbers during the mating season), with the one at the front acts as a female while the one at the back as a male. The animal(s) in between could be as both females and males. In the intercourse process, a male sea hare would attach his penis to the vagina of the middle sea hare, and a female would attach with the middle sea hare's penis. That means the middle one is always the go-between to pass the sperm through to the other. This giant mating chain enables the sea hare to breed with two other sea hares internally at a time to fertilize a string of spaghetti looks like eggs into the form of long ribbons or in masses as large as a grapefruit's diameter. At a time, a sea hare can lay up to as many as 86 million eggs which will soon hatch in 10 to 12 days.
Barnacles: Wow, Crazy Long Penis for Mating!
(Image source: Underseadive)
(Image source: Barnacle's inflatable penis, Sue Scott, MarLIN)
Barnacles are crustaceans attacked firmly to the rocks. As they are primarily stationary animal, how do they mate? The solution to this obstacle is solved by their relatively long penises adapted for their own species of their sizes. These inflatable penises can reach up to 50 times as long as their bodies; there should not be problems for them to have sex with their neighbors as well as to fertilize distant neighbors. Imagine that their penises could reach to another seven shells away! Wow, such the longest penis in the animal kingdom! Incredible!
"The benefit of a longer penis is obvious for the barnacles - it helps them reach more barnacles - but the tradeoff is that it could wave around wildly on shores exposed to waves," explained researcher Christopher Neufeld, an evolutionary marine biologist at University of Alberta in Edmonton.
Praying Mantis: Get Your Head Off for Sex!
(Image source: Praying Mantis Wise to Sexual Cannibalism Risk [LiveScience 2006-07-26])
The Praying Mantis has long been known for the cannibalistic response while copulating. During mating, the male mantis will jump on the back of the female. If he miscounted the jump, he is more likely to become a meal for her. However, if his jump was successful, they will mate sexually. Despite of this reason, he usually approaches her more cautious. He will thus choose to approach her from behind and then hang onto her back with his front legs. When mating begins, he will follow an elaborate multi-step dance-like ritual that can last even for hours.
(Image source: Pansphoto.com)
While he is mating with her, she sometimes has a habit of biting his head off. This is believed to be a common practice as a necessary part to complete the reproductive process. It is said to be a signal for the male to release his sperm which provides the female with sufficient protein to enable her to lay more eggs. After mating, the female will lay 12 to 400 eggs in a walnut size small case which will then turn hard into a protective and warm home for the newborn babies. The nymphs hatch much alike of their parents.
Redback spider: Come on, Guy, Jump over Me for a Favor!
(Image source by William Thiam, redback spider)
Like the praying mantis, Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) has been noted for its sexual cannibalism. To attract the attention of the female, the male has to make overturns to her to confirm whether she is ready to mate with him.
(Image source: The Invisible Sex Dance of Psychedelic Spiders [LiveScience 2007-01-25])
Note: This is other species of spiders, showing you what happens during their mating.
While mating, the male will offer his abdomen and by standing on his head and somersaulting to place his abdomen over the female's mouthparts. Next, she begins to squirt digestive juices onto his abdomen while inserting the first palp. If he is still strong, he will be able to withdraw to insert the second pulp. In most cases, she will eat him while or after the mating. If he is lucky enough not being eaten by her, he will die soon after mating. The act of sacrificing himself is deemed necessary to enable her to copulate for a longer period to assist in fertilising more eggs. Once she has mated with him, she may lay eggs from 40 to 300 in each sac (1cm in diameter and the sac is suspended within the web) for every 25 to 30 days. She will work very hard to spin up to 8 round balls of web for her eggs with some of these contain as many as 300 eggs. Sometimes, during this period, she can lay up to 5,000 eggs. These eggs will hatch within 13 to 15 days after being laid.
My claps.