Metacrinus rotundus
- All sea lilies undergo a similar form of sexual reproduction to one another
- While all sea lilies have gametes, such as sperm and eggs, they do not necessarily have sex organs, such as testes or ovaries, where these gametes would be produced
- Gametes are produced in a tunnel found within the genitals of sea lilies
- The genitals of sea lilies are found within the leaf-like portion of the sea lily known as pinnules
- Sea lilies undergo a form of external sexual reproduction
- The pinnules must repture before fertilization can occur which releases the sperm or egg cells
- Once the sperm and egg are released they must meet somewhere within the ocean for the sexual reproduction to begin
- As soon as the sperm and the egg meet in the ocean the sperm fertilizes the egg which creates a larva, which will eventually mortaphize into a juvenille sea lily and then eventually a full-grown mature sea lily
This picture puts into perspective how external sexual reproduction happens, which is the means by which sea lilies use to sexually reproduce. While the picture shows fish externally reproducing, the concept is the same for fish and sea lilies.
This picture puts into a deeper perspective how external sexual reproduction happens, which is the means by which sea lilies use to sexually reproduce, by showing a natural occurrence of external reproduction within our environment. While the picture is showing a natural occurrence of stony cloral externally reproducing, once again the means by which stony cloral and sea lilies externally reproduce is very similar.