A hectocotylus (plural: hectocotyli) is one of the arms of male cephalopods that is specialized to store and transfer spermatophores to the female. Structurally, hectocotyli are muscular hydrostats. Depending on the species, the male may use it merely as a conduit to the female, or he may wrench it off and present it to the female. The name hectoc...
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectocotylus
• (n.) One of the arms of the male of most kinds of cephalopods, which is specially modified in various ways to effect the fertilization of the eggs. In a special sense, the greatly modified arm of Argonauta and allied genera, which, after receiving the spermatophores, becomes detached from the male, and attaches itself to the female for repro...
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http://thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/hectocotylus/
(from the article `mollusk`) ...capsules containing sperm (spermatophores) typically occurs in cephalopods and some gastropods. In cephalopods, transfer of spermatophores is ... During courtship the male deposits spermatophores in the female, either within the mantle cavity or on a pad below the mouth, by means of a specially ... ......
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http://www.britannica.com/eb/a-z/h/30
Origin: NL, fr. Gr. A hundred + a hollow vessel. ... <zoology> One of the arms of the male of most kinds of cephalopods, which is specially modified in various ways to effect the fertilization of the eggs. In a special sense, the greatly modified arm of Argonauta and allied genera, which, after receiving the spermatophores, becomes detached f...
Found on
http://www.encyclo.co.uk/local/20973
Hec`to·cot'y·lus noun ;
plural Hectocotyli . [ New Latin , from Greek ... a hundred + ... a hollow vessel.]
(Zoology) One of the arms of the male of most kinds of cephalopods, which is specially modified in various ways to effect the fertilization of the eggs. In a special s...
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http://www.encyclo.co.uk/webster/H/25
hectocotylus (s); hectocotyli (pl) A modified arm of the male of certain cephalopods, such as the octopus, functioning as a reproductive organ in the transference of sperm to the mantle cavity of the female. It is a specialized, extended tentacle used to store spermatophores, the male gamete. Males generally form a new hectocotylus in each new sea....
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http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/552/
No exact match found.
