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Motile colony consisting of a hollow spherical network of interconnected, flagellate, Chlamydomonas-like cells.
Asexual Reproduction: Daughter colonies produced by specialized cells called Gonidia. They mature within the parent, and are released by enzymatically digesting a portion of the parent sphere. Sexual Reproduction: Some specialized cells cleave internally to form a sperm packet, which is realeased to the interior of the colony, and eventually digests it's way out to search for compatible cells, which are recognized via a chemical reaction between the flagella. The packet digests it's way into the compatible colony and dissociates, with the sperm individually seeking an egg to fertilize. The zygote is the only diploid stage in the life cycle, and can serve as a dormant resting stage. Species may be monoecious or dioecious. The zygote produces 4 spores by meiosis, each of which develops into a new colony. |
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