Phyla Paragraphs and Chart
- Subgroups
- Porifera
- None
- Cnidaria- The subgroups of cnidaria include jellyfish, hydras, sea anemones, and corals. Jellyfish are the most common of the cnidaria family. Medusae have the ability to move around and catch prey. They are carnivorous. Polyps are attached to the sea floor. Hydras are smaller than jellyfish. They also have either polyp or medusa forms. Sea anemones and coral formations all have a polyp shape to them. They either have tentacles or branches of some kind. Some produce asexually while others produce sexually.
- Annelida- Annelids are grouped into three different classes. Oligochaetes, leeches, and polychaetes. Oligochaetes typically have streamlined bodies and have relatively few setae. most live in soil or freshwater. Earthworms, tubifex worms are common examples of oligochaetes. Many eat other soft bodied animals such as other worms or snails. others feed off more complex organisms like humans. Polychaetes are marine animals with far more setae than the other two groups. Examples of these are sandworms, and bloodworms.
- Mollusca- The Mollusca phylum contains three main families: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda. The gastropods, characterized by having a single shell the organism can retreat into. Gastropoda contains pond snails, land slugs, sea butterflies, sea hares, limpets, and nudibranchs. The Bivalvia family is characterized by two shells connected by strong muscles. This family includes clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. The third family is Cephalopoda, characterized by soft bodies with a head connected directly to the foot. The foot is divided into tendrils called tentacles and arms. Common cephalopods are octopi, squids, cuttlefishes, and nautiluses.
- Arthropoda- The groups of arthropods are the following: Crustacea, Chelicerata, and Uniramia. Examples of crustaceans are crabs, shrimp, lobsters, crayfishes, and barnacles. Crustaceans are generally aquatic, and contain two pairs of antennae, two-three body sections, and mandibles. Members of the phylum Chelicerata are horseshoe crabs, spiders, ticks, and scorpions. Chelicerata is characterized by mouthparts called “Chelicerae” (from which the phylum is derived), two body sections, and four pairs of walking legs. The third, Uniramia, contains insects. Examples are centipedes, millipedes, and any other insect under the sun. Additionally, Uniramia contains the most species to date. Uniramia contains animals with jaws, one pair of antennae, and unbranched appendages.
- Chordata- Fish- Jawless fishes, sharks, and bony fishes make up all the subgroups of the phyla chordata. Jawless fishes have no jaw which the name implies. They have no vertebrae, skeleton and are divided into two categories lampreys and hagfishs. Sharks are built entirely of cartilage. Shark’s scales can be very rough. All have some kind of tail, torpedo shaped body, and a pointy snout.Some sharks feed by filtration while other kill their prey with razor sharp teeth. Stingrays and skates are mainly bottom feeders. They swoop across the sea floor with wing like fins and use their mouth as a vacuum to pick up little minos or anything they desire. Stingrays and skates rest on the sea floor. The last subgroup of chordata is bony fish. Nearly all are considered ray finned which means they have wing like fins made of tiny support bones.
- Chordata- Amphibians- The main groups of amphibians are Salamanders, Frogs/Toads, and Caecilians. Salamanders (and newts) have long bodies and four legs, are carnivorous, and live in moist forests. Frogs jump very high and far, but toads jump shorter. Frogs are also more tied to water (like ponds and streams), while toads live in drier areas, like moist woods and even deserts. Caecilians are legless animals that live in water or moist soil. The have fishlike scales embedded in their skin as well.
- Porifera
- Ecology
- Porifera- Sponges belonging to the Phylum “Porifera” are surprisingly active ecologically, despite their lack of movement. One such way they help is by providing habitats for snails, sea stars, and shrimp. Another way they are active is by providing a mutual symbiotic relationship between themselves and photosynthetic bacteria, algae, and protists.
- Cnidaria- One of the major groups of in cnidaria is the coral. Coral feeds off algae that grow around them in exchange the coral shelters and protects that algae. as humans we are damaging the coral by direct contact contamination the water by logging, farming, mining, and constructions. Many of the chemicals we use damage pison mehm as well. High temperatures are also killing the algae in the coral.
- Annelida- Earthworms are the intestines of the of the earth they decompose plant matter enriching the soil. this allows more plants to grow keeping the ecosystem alive. Worms are also a staple in the diet of many animals like birds, skunks and toads. Marine annelids are often filter feeders and provide the necessary food for crustaceans like crabs.
- Mollusca- Mollusks are active as predators, prey, and symbiotes. They feed on plants and some animals, whereas some animals, like humans, feed on them. They also host symbiotic algae or parasites, whereas some mollusks are parasites. One symbiotic relationship is between Bivalvian mollusks and bacteria. The mollusks that live near volcanic vents have bacteria which extract chemical energy from simple compounds released in the hot water near the vents. They then use this energy to produce food molecules for the mollusks.
- Arthropoda- Insects are both good and bad for humans. Termites and moths destroy human creations (wood and cloth respectively). Bees and wasps sting us. Weevils and Locusts cause trouble to both livestock and farmers’ money. Mosquitoes annoy, and can carry terrible disease. Fleas brought the bubonic plague to Europe, consequently destroying two thirds of the population. They are good as well, however. Bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, and flies pollinate crops and flowers. Insects also produce commercially valuable products like silk, wax, and honey, and some insects are delicacies in other cultures.
- Chordata- Most fishes either live in fresh water or the ocean. Some can live in both such as salmon. Almost all fishes migrate to lay eggs. some spend their whole lives in freshwater then migrate to the ocean to lay eggs and visa versa.
- Chordata- Amphibians are extremely reliant on water, without it there skin would dry out and they would no longer be able to breathe. Amphibians are an ideal meath for many species, so they have had to adapt to have camouflage and poison glands in order to be protected. Frogs and toads and becoming increasingly rare and we have no idea why.