▁the ▁retr al ▁processes ▁( small ▁back ward ▁extensions ▁of ▁the ▁chamber ▁walls ) ▁that ▁cross ▁the ▁s ut ures , ▁giving ▁some ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁tiny ▁rolled ▁up ▁glass ▁b ask ets . ▁ ▁El ph id ium ▁craw ls ▁using ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁pseud op od ▁called ▁ret icul op odia . ▁ ▁Life ▁cycle ▁El ph id ium ▁shows ▁dim orphism ▁with ▁altern ating ▁gener ations . ▁ ▁The ▁complete ▁cycle ▁for ▁El ph id ium ▁cr isp um ▁takes ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁shall ower ▁marine ▁regions , ▁although ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁delayed ▁at ▁deeper ▁stations . ▁ ▁A sex ual ▁reprodu ction ▁reaches ▁a ▁peak ▁in ▁spring ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁year . ▁ ▁Sex ual ▁reprodu ction ▁ ▁begins ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁spring ▁as ▁temper atures ▁begin ▁to ▁rise . ▁ ▁The ▁gam etes ▁conjug ate ▁outside ▁in ▁open ▁sea ▁to ▁produce ▁z yg otes ▁and ▁the ▁B ▁form ▁then ▁develop s ▁and ▁m atures ▁during ▁the ▁second ▁summer . ▁L ister ▁( 1 8 9 5 ) ▁observed ▁El ph id ium ▁ ▁in ▁two ▁different ▁forms ▁as ▁meg al os pher ic ▁form ▁( sex ual ▁form ) ▁and ▁mic ros per ic ▁form ▁( ase x ual ▁form ). ▁The ▁meg al os per ic ▁form ▁was ▁developed ▁from ▁the ▁mic ros per ic ▁form . ▁The ▁gam etes ▁which ▁gives ▁rise ▁to ▁mic ros pher ic ▁form ▁by ▁sy ng amy . ▁ ▁El ph id ium ▁exhib its ▁an ▁altern ation ▁of