The male reproductive system of earthworms includes testes, seminal vesicles, vas deferens, and prostate glands. Sperm develop in the testes and travel to the seminal vesicles to mature. They then pass through the vas deferens and prostate glands before being released during copulation. The female system contains ovaries, oviducts, and spermathecae for storing sperm. During mating, sperm are exchanged through the genital openings and stored in spermathecae for later fertilization inside cocoons formed by the clitellum. Cocoons contain eggs fertilized by sperm from the spermathecae and albumen for nourishment.

1. Reproductive System of Pheretima (Earthworm)
Dr . Sonia Bajaj
soniabajaj51@gmail.com

2. Male Reproductive Organs of Earthworm:
The male reproductive organs consist of testes, testis sacs, seminal vesicles, vasa deferentia,
prostate glands and accessory glands.
Testes and Testis Sacs:
The testes are two pairs, very minute, whitish and lobed structures situated one pair each in
segment 10th and 11th found attached with the posterior surface of 9/10 and 10/11 inter-
segmental septa. Each testis consists of 4 to 8 finger-like lobules projecting from a compact
base.
Each lobule of the testis contains rounded cells in masses called spermatogonia. The testes
are well developed only during the young stage of the worm and become degenerated in the
adult worm. The testes of each segment are found enclosed in a thin-walled, wide bilobed and
fluid-filled sacs called testis sacs.
Thus, there are two testis sacs situated in the segments 10th and 11th on the ventrolateral
sides of the ventral nerve cord beneath the stomach.
Behind each of the four testes, in the testis sacs, is a large spermatic funnel having folded and
ciliated margins. The testis sacs remain in communication with the seminal vesicles. The
spermatogonia are shed into the testis sacs and pass on into the seminal vesicles where they
undergo maturation and form spermatozoa.

3. Seminal Vesicles:
These are two pairs of large, white, sac-like bodies, one pair each in the segments 11th and 12th
into which the testis sacs open by narrow ducts. The anterior seminal vesicles are smaller than
the posterior ones. The seminal vesicles of the 11th segment are found enclosed in the posterior
larger testis sac, while those of the 12th segment are exposed in the coeiomic cavity.
These are also placed ventro-laterally beneath the stomach and since they develop as septal
outgrowths, hence, they are also known as septal pouches.
Vasa Deferentia:
Each spermatic funnel (posteriorly) leads into a thin, narrow, thread-like sperm duct or vas
deferens. Thus, the two vasa deferentia of each side run very closely and laterally to the nerve
cord beneath the alimentary canal on the ventral body wall, up to 18th segment where they join
the prostatic duct.
Prostate Glands:
These are a pair of large, white, solid and irregularly- shaped glandular masses situated one on
either side of the gut in the segments from 16th or 17th to 20th or 21st. Each prostate gland
consists of a maximum glandular region and a small part of non-glandular region. From each
prostate gland emerges a thick curved prostatic duct in 18th segment.
This duct joins the two vasa deferentia of its side and these three ducts are enclosed in a
common sheath to form a common prostatic spermatic duct which opens separately through a
male genital aperture on the ventral side of the 18th segment.
Thus, each genital aperture has three separate apertures—two of the vasa deferentia and one of
the prostatic gland. The function of the secretion of prostatic duct is not definitely known.

5. Accessory Glands:
These are two pairs of rounded structures situated one pair each in the segments 17th and 18th
on the ventral body wall at the lateral sides of the nerve cord.
These glands open to the outside by a number of small ductless on the two pairs of genital
papillae situated on the either side of the mid-ventral line in 17th and 19th segments externally.
The secretion of these glands is believed to keep together the two worms during the process of
copulation.
As mentioned earlier, the spermatogonia from the testes are shed into the testis sacs and pass on
to the seminal vesicles where spermatogenesis is completed and tailed spermatozoa are formed.
Now, these spermatozoa again enter the testis sacs and through the spermatic funnels go down
the vasa deferentia and are discharged through the male genital apertures along with the
secretion of prostate glands.

6. Fig- Pheretima- T.S. passing through the testis sacs, and seminal vesicles in the
anterior region of 11th segment.

7. Female Reproductive Organs of Earthworm:
Female reproductive organs consist of the ovaries, oviducts and spermathecae.
Ovaries:
There is a pair of white, small, lobulated ovaries, one on either side of the ventral nerve
cord in the 13th segment attached with the posterior face of the inter-segmental septum of
12/13 segments.
Each ovary has several finger-like processes with developing ova in a row providing it
beaded appearance. The ova remain in various stages of their development in each ovarian
lobe being mature in the distal part and immature in the proximal part.
Oviducts:
Below each ovary in 13th segment, there is a small ovarian funnel with folded and ciliated
margins. Each ovarian funnel leads into a short, conical and ciliated oviduct.
The oviducts of both the sides converge to meet below the nerve cord and open by a
single median female genital aperture ventrally in the 14th segment. The mature ova are
released from the ovaries and received by the ovarian funnel, pass through the oviducts
and which go out through the female genital aperture.

8. Fig- Pheretima- T.S 12th segment of body

9. Fig- Pheretima- T.S 17th segment of body passing through prostate gland and
genital papillae.

10. Spermathecae:
These are four pairs, one pair each in the segments 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th situated ventro-laterally.
Each spermatheca is flask-shaped, the main body is the ampulla which is continued into narrow
duct— the neck with a small diverticulum on its inner side. These are also called seminal
receptacles as they store the spermatozoa from the another worm during copulation.
In Pheretima, unlike the other earthworms, the diverticula store the spermatozoa and not the
ampulla. The spermatheca open externally by their small ducts as spermatheca pores situated
inter-segmentally between segments 5/6, 6/7, 7/8 and 8/9.
Fig- Pheretima- Ovary

11. Copulation, Cocoon Formation and Fertilisation of Earthworm:
Copulation has been observed in different species of earthworms. It usually occurs in the
rainy season during the months of July to October at dawn, i.e., in the morning hours before
sunrise.
During copulation two earthworms of adjacent burrows half emerge from their burrows and
come closer to lie in contact to each other by their ventral surfaces with their anterior ends
pointing in opposite directions. In this position the male genital apertures of each worm lie
opposite the spermathecal pores of the other.
The areas of the male genital apertures are raised into papillae and inserted into the
spermathecal pores, so that there is a mutual exchange of spermatozoa and prostatic fluid
between the two copulating worms. Copulation lasts for about an hour or so, then the worms
separate and recede into their burrows.
Cocoon or ootheca formation starts after copulation when ovaries mature. The epidermis of
clitellar segments, i.e., 14th, 15th and 16th segments contain three kinds of glands, they are
unicellular mucous glands which produce mucus for copulation, cocoon-secreting glands
secrete the wall of the cocoon and albumen glands produce albumen in which eggs are
deposited in the cocoon.

12. A membranous girdle is secreted by cocoon-secreting glands of the clitellum, this girdle soon
hardens, then albumen is deposited between the girdle and the body wall. The worm starts
withdrawing itself backwards from the girdle. As the girdle passes over the female genital
aperture it receives eggs, and when it passes over the spermathecae sperms are extruded into
it through spermathecal pores.
Lastly, the girdle is thrown off from the anterior end of the worm and soon the elasticity of
its wall closes up its two ends to form a cocoon or ootheca. Several cocoons are formed after
each copulation because the spermatozoa contained in the spermatheca do not pass out all at
one time. The cocoons are oval, light yellow in colour and are about 2 to 2.4 mm long and
1.5 to 2 mm broad.
Fig- Pheretima- Spermatheca

13. Fig- Pheretima- Copulation process and Cocoons formation

14. Thank you