and 9th segments. The spermathecae receive and store the spermatozoa of another earthworm during copulation. They are lined with epithelium and are variable in shape: some are thin, heavily coiled tubes, while others are vague outpocketings from the main reproductive tract. It is one of the many variations in sexual reproduction.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has two spermathecae, one at the end of each gonad. The C. elegans spermatheca is made up