mictic egg

biology

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

A mictic egg is a type of egg produced by a female rotifer. These eggs are involved in sexual reproduction. If unfertilized, mictic eggs develop into male rotifers. If fertilized, they develop into resting eggs, which later hatch into amictic females.1

The term "mictic" relates to sexual reproduction or the union of germ cells, a process also known as mixis. In contrast, amictic eggs develop parthenogenetically, meaning they develop without fertilization and produce only females.1

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reproductive behaviour
Flatworms and rotifers
…the male population increases, most mictic eggs become fertilized, resulting in the production of a heavy-shelled dormant egg with much yolk. The dormant egg survives the winter and gives rise to the amictic females of the next spring. Thus, despite the many generations produced in the summer by so-called sexual…
Read More
…the male population increases, most mictic eggs become fertilized, resulting in the production of a heavy-shelled dormant egg with much yolk. The dormant egg survives the winter and gives rise to the amictic females of the next spring. Thus, despite the many generations produced in the summer by so-called sexual…
Read More