Britannica AI Icon

strobilation

zoology
Also known as: strobila, strobilization, strobilus

Quick Summary

Strobilation is a form of asexual reproduction observed in certain animals, such as some cnidarians (like jellyfish) and tapeworms. It involves the body dividing transversely into multiple segments, which then develop into independent individuals, zooids, or proglottids.12

In scyphozoan jellyfish, a polyp stage called a scyphistoma undergoes strobilation to produce immature medusae known as ephyrae. For tapeworms, strobilation results in a chain of segments called proglottids. These products of strobilation are indirectly reproductive; they mature and separate from the parent, with proglottids releasing eggs and ephyrae developing into adult medusae.31

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.