The correct option is 3: Epitoky The phenomenon described is a classic example of a specialized reproductive strategy found in marine polychaete annelids, such as those belonging to the genus Nereis. The term for this process is Epitoky. During epitoky, a non-sexual, bottom-dwelling individual known as the atoke undergoes a remarkable and profound transformation into a sexually mature, pelagic (free-swimming) form called the epitoke or heteronereis. This transformation is characterized…Read More