Cnidaria
The Cnidaria phylum mostly consists of different types of corals,jellyfish and sea anemones. Cnidarians reproduce both sexually and asexually. Many species in the Cnidarian phylum have complex life cycles with asexual polyp stages and sexual medusae, but some omit either the polyp or the medusa stage.
Pacific Sea Nettle
The Pacific Sea Nettle is a Jellyfish that is capable of both sexual reproduction in the medusa stage and asexual reproduction in the polyp stage.The Medusa stage is the stage where the jellyfish is a free-swimming structure consisting of an umbrella-shaped body (called a bell), a fringe of tentacles that hang from the edge of the bell, and a mouth opening located on the underside of the bell. The polyp stage is a sessile stage, so called because the polyp is stationary and remains attached to a single spot on the sea floor.Reproduction begins when the females catch sperm released by the males to fertilize the eggs she has produced and holds it in her mouth. These fertilized eggs remain attached to her oral arms, and there they grow into flat bean-shaped planula. Once they grow into flower-shaped polyps, they are released into the ocean where they attach themselves to a solid surface and undergo budding.
Sea Anemone
The Sea Anemone can reproduce through both sexual and asexual reproduction.The Sea Anemone does not have the medusa stage in its life cycle and remains as a polyp. The polyp produces eggs and sperm, and the fertilized egg develops into a planula that develops directly into another polyp. The sexes in sea anemones are separate in some species, while in others they are hermaphrodites. The gonads are strips of tissue within the bodies divided cavities. In sexual reproduction males release sperm to stimulate females to release eggs, and fertilization occurs. Anemones eject eggs and sperm through the mouth. The fertilized egg develops into a planula, which settles and grows into a single polyp. Anemones can also reproduce asexually, by budding, binary fission and pedal laceration, in which small pieces of the pedal disc break off and regenerate into small anemones.
Reef Coral
Most Reef Corals reproduce sexually, however they can reproduce asexually and become hermaphrodites. Much like the Porifera phylum, coral reproduces asexually through budding and gemmules. However Reef Coral has different parts to budding unlike the Porifera phylum. The Reef Coral can go through intratentacular or extratentacular budding. Intratentacular budding is from the corals oral discs and it produces a same-sized polyp within a ring of tentacles. Extratentacular budding occurs from the Reef Coral's base, and produces a smaller polyp.