Reproduction/Mating

Reproduction 
Mating in Thenus orientalis occurs similar to other animals.  First, they must find a mate; males trying to attract another female.  Unlike other lobsters, the process of trying to attract another mate, called copulation, takes a little longer.  this process can last up to five minutes, which isn't long, but whereas others only take one minute.  When mating partners are found, they spend time together before mating, which usually lasts a few days.  During this time, the males are more active and swims more frequently and around the females.  Mating only occurs at late night hours and when it does, the male flips the female over and crawls on top of the female.  After fertilization, the two lobsters swims away in opposite directions.  This sounds a little like an one night stand, don't you readers agree?  Egg laying happens two hours approximately, where fertilized eggs are orange/yellow and non-fertilized eggs, pinkish or creamish.  Incubation ranges from 32-37 days and hatching takes place during only early mornings which is completed in 1-3 days.  Water quality is a major influence in hatching survivability though.


General conception of how the skyllaride family carry eggs until hatching.

Differences in Sexes
Some differences in the two sexes of Thenus orientalis are: Males are smaller in size, have a smaller abdomen, has a different genital location (males near the fifth walking leg, and females near the third), larger opening of reproductive location, and smaller pleoplods (which are body segments).

Maturation
Females and males mature kind of the same using coloring in growth of their reproductive parts.  In females, signs of maturation is that the ovaries are dark orange when fully matured.  Before that, the ovaries are translucent and turns to white to creamish to dark yellow before reaching dark orange.  In males, their testis become milky white and the vas deferens (the tube that carries out sperm) becomes very thick.

Fecundity
Fecundity is the rate at which an animal reproduces.  This is influenced mainly by external factors as well as the size of the animal.  Some external factors that can change the fecundity rate in Thenus orientalis are water temperature, the pH level, and their nutritional diet.


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