In the mating of banana slugs, the penis is inserted into the body of the partner. The penis may become trapped, perhaps because of the action of a special muscle,[clarification needed] in which case the penis is gnawed off by either the partner or the owner. The apophallated slug can mate as a female.[2] It has been proposed that it might be adaptive for a slug to apophallate the mating partner because that partner is subsequently prevented from mating as a male and so might increase the allocation of resources to the production of eggs fertilised from the mating.[1]
One paper reports that individuals of Deroceras laeve sometimes bite off their own penis after mating, which is then eaten by the partner.[3] In this genus, sperm is swapped from penis to penis, so the amputee would not be able to mate successfully even in the female role.[1]
^ abLeonard, J.L.; Pearse, J.S.; Harper, A.B. (2002). "Comparative reproductive biology of Ariolimax californicus and A. dolichophallus (Gastropoda; Stylommiatophora)". Invertebrate Reproduction & Development. 41 (1–3): 83–93. doi:10.1080/07924259.2002.9652738. S2CID83829239.
^Rymzhanov, T.S. (1994). "Courtship display and copulation mechanism in the slugs of the genus Deroceras (Mollusca, Gastropoda Terrestria Nuda) at Transili Alatau mountain range. [In Russian]". Izv. NAN Resp. Kazach., Ser. Biol. 4: 28–33.
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