Difference between revisions of "Invertebrate"
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*[[Protozoan|Protozoa]] - Mostly simple, single-celled organisms | *[[Protozoan|Protozoa]] - Mostly simple, single-celled organisms | ||
| − | *[[Porifera]] - [[ | + | *[[Porifera]] - [[sponge|Sponge]]s |
*[[Coelentera]] - Hydra, [[jellyfish]], [[sea anemone|anemones]] and [[coral]]s | *[[Coelentera]] - Hydra, [[jellyfish]], [[sea anemone|anemones]] and [[coral]]s | ||
*[[echinoderms|Echinoderm]]a - [[Starfish]], [[sea urchin]]s and [[sea cucumber]]s | *[[echinoderms|Echinoderm]]a - [[Starfish]], [[sea urchin]]s and [[sea cucumber]]s | ||
Revision as of 15:23, April 24, 2008
An invertebrate (in contrast to a vertebrate), is an animal with no spine. Most living things are invertebrates, including arthropods, molluscs, and bacteria.
Sharks and rays are a special class under this description, since they do not have bony skeletons, and hence no spine. They do, however, have a similar structure to vertebrates. They are called notochords.
The phyla contained in Invertebrata are:
- Protozoa - Mostly simple, single-celled organisms
- Porifera - Sponges
- Coelentera - Hydra, jellyfish, anemones and corals
- Echinoderma - Starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers
- Annelida - Worms
- Brachiopoda - Bivalves, such as mussels and clams
- Polyzoa - Single celled critters that usually form colonies
- Mullusca - Whelks, ammonites, cuttlefish, squids, snails, etc.
- Arthropoda - Crustaceans, insects, arachnids, trilobites, etc.[1]
References
- ↑ Invertebrate Paleontology, Henry Woods, Cambridge University Press, 8th Edition (1946)