Ovoviviparous

Definition

Producing offspring that develop within eggs retained inside the maternal body until hatching or near-hatching, without significant nutrient transfer from mother to embryo beyond the yolk; a reproductive mode intermediate between oviparity and viviparity.

Etymology

From Latin ovo- (egg) + viviparus (live-bearing)

Example

Many cockroaches (Blattodea) and some tsetse flies (Glossinidae) are ovoviviparous: eggs hatch internally and active nymphs or larvae are deposited rather than laid as eggs.

Synonyms

• Aplacental viviparous
• Internal oviparous

Related Terms

• Oviparous
• Viviparous
• Ovoviviparity
• Lecithotrophy
• Adenotrophic viviparity
• Embryonic diapause

Usage Notes

Distinguished from true viviparity by the absence of a placenta or equivalent maternal nutrient supply; embryos rely entirely on yolk reserves. In entomology, sometimes loosely conflated with adenotrophic viviparity (where larvae are nourished by maternal glands), but strictly ovoviviparous species provide no post-ovulatory nutrition. Contrast with oviparity (eggs laid before embryonic development) and ovuliparity (eggs fertilized and laid externally).