Sea Slug Grows New Penis After Every Sex Session

Faline · #1 ● 02-13-2013, 03:49 PM

A species of sea slug grows a new PENIS after every sex session, scientists have discovered.

Chromodoris reticulata gets rid of the organ straight after mating - but has a new one in 24 hours.

And the critter, which inhabits warm waters in Southeast Asia, can repeat the feat at least three times.

Animals that discard body parts aren't unusual in the natural world. Geckos are known to shed their tails.

But boffins say the bizarre sex life of the sea slug is unprecedented.

"No other animal is known to repeatedly copulate using such 'disposable penes'," Japanese biologists wrote in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

The scientists found that the human thumb-sized slug has both male and female sexual organs and can use both at the same time.

During sex they both take sperm from each other and then store it for later fertilisation.

After each sex session the slugs discard their penises - a thread-like organ that it projects from its side.

Scientists say the slug grows a new penis from coiled-up tissue at the base of its genitalia.

Ayami Sekizawa, who led the study, said: "We think this spiral is effectively a penis-in-waiting that will uncoil rapidly after penis disposal and grow into a new penis."