Lancelets reproduce sexually by which mechanism?

• A. Internal fertilization
• B. External fertilization
• C. Asexual budding
• D. Parthenogenesis

Answer: (B)

External fertilization is how lancelets reproduce sexually. They release eggs and sperm into the surrounding seawater, and fertilization occurs outside the bodies of the organisms. This aquatic, broadcast-spawning strategy suits their marine lifestyle, allowing gametes to meet in the water and form a zygote that develops into a free-swimming larva, which later matures into an adult. Internal fertilization would require fertilization inside the body, which isn’t characteristic of lancelets. Asexual budding or parthenogenesis describe reproduction without fertilization between two individuals, so they don’t apply to lancelets’ sexual reproduction.