Tardigrades have a wide range of reprodcutive strategies; Both sexual and asexual in nature. Normally, they are "dioecious" meaning that they have both female and male reproductive organs. Also, they reproduce sexually. On the other hand, there has been reports than other species don't have the male reproductive organs.
In sexual reproduction, females will lay anywhere from 1-30 eggs, which they often leave in their shed molt. Then, later the males will come along and fertilize the eggs by inputing his sperm.
- In addition, Development in most tardigrades is inexistent; they experience no larval stages, unlike the young of the phyla Arthropoda.
- Furthermore, in Asexual reproduction, as mentioned before, there are no male organs in some species of tardigrades. Therefore, they undergo Parthenogenesis; The females will lay eggs, which will develop without the need of fertilization.
- Furthermore, in Asexual reproduction, as mentioned before, there are no male organs in some species of tardigrades. Therefore, they undergo Parthenogenesis; The females will lay eggs, which will develop without the need of fertilization.