Sexual reproduction is the culmination of a process of sexual maturation that takes many months for completion and the mechanisms by which moon phase relationships are imposed on this process must have been selected for by mechanisms relating to reproductive success.
In a similar way, the onset of sexual maturation and participation in the nuptial dance of Platynereis dumerilli has strong lunar components. The breeding of the palolo worm involves the highly synchronised release of what are in effect detached sexual satellites and the timing of this has annual (solar year), lunar, daily and tidal rhythm components. Some moon phase related spawning events are revealed by the constant phase relationship between the timing of “once per year” spawning events and the lunar phase as in the highly synchronised breeding of the palolo worm Palola viridis and the Japanese crinoid Comanthus japonicus In other cases there is a repeated lunar cycle of reproductive activity and again the marine worms provide many good examples. The evidence that the moon has a profound effect on the timing of reproductive activities of marine animals is compelling.
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