Chapter 4: Animal Kingdom

Phylum Porifera

Coelenterata

Ctenophora

Platyhelminthes

Sponges

NIL

Sea walnuts or comb

jellies

Habitat

Mostly marine

Marine only

Symmetry
Triploblastic
or Diploblastic
Coelom
Organisation

Mostly asymmetrical
NIL

Aquatic (mostly marine)

Sessile (immobile) or
free-swimming
Radially symmetrical
Diploblastic

Flatworms
Dorso-ventrally flattened
body
Endoparasites found in
animals (incl. human)

Radial symmetry
Diploblastic

Bilaterally
Triploblastic

NIL
Tissue level organisation

Nil
Tissue level
organisation

Acoelomate
Organ level organisation

Polyp: Sessile and

cylinder form (Hydra,
Adamsia)
Medusa: Umbrellashaped and freeswimming (Aurelia or
jellyfish)
NIL

NIL

NIL

NIL

Hermaphrodite

Hermaphrodite

Cnidarians that exist in

both forms exhibit

Only by sexual means

NIL

Characteristic
s
Common
Name

Forms

Skeleton
Sexual organs

Reproduction

NIL
Cellular Level
organisation
NIL

Made up of spicules or
sponging fibres
Hermaphrodite (sexes
are not separate)
Eggs and sperms are
produced by the sme
individual
Asexually by
fragmentation and

sexually by formation
of gametes

Digestion

Intracellular

Fertilisation
Development

Internal
Indirect having a
larval stage
Sponges have a water
transport or canal
system
Water enters through
minute pores (ostia)
in the body wall into a
central cavity
(spongocoel) where
it goes out through
the osculum
Pathway is useful in
food gathering,
respiratory exchange
and removal of waste
Choanocytes line the
spongocoel and the
canals
Sycon (Scypha),
Spongilla (fresh water
sponge) and
euspongia (Bath

Others

Examples

alternation of generation
Metagenesis
Polyps produce medusa
asexually
Medusae produce polyps
sexually
Eg. Obelia
Intracellular and
extracellular
NIL
NIL

Intracellular and
extracellular
External
Indirect development

Contains cnidoblasts or
cnidocytes (stinging
capsules or
nematocytes)
Cnidoblasts are used for
anchorage, defense and
for capture of prey
Gastro-vascular cavity
with a single opening:
hypostomes

Bears eight external

rows of ciliated comb
plates
Bioluminescence

Physalia (portugese
manof-war), Adamsia
(Sea Anemone) ,
Pennatula(Sea pen),

Pleurobrachia and
Ctenoplana

NIL
Internal
Indirect through larval
stages
Hooks present in parasitic
forms
Specialised cells called
flame cells help in
regulation and excretion
Some (Planaria) possess
highly regeneration
capacities

Taenia (Tapeworm),
Fasciola(Liverfluke)

Sponge)

Phylum Aschelminthes

Gorgonia (Sea-fan) and

Meandrina ((Brain coral)

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Roundworm

NIL

Insects

Snails

Free-living
Aquatic
Terrestrial
Parasitic in plants or
animals
Bilateral
Triploblastic

Aquatic (Marine or
freshwater)
Terrestrial (Free-living or
sometimes parasitic)

NIL

Terrestrial or Aquatic
(Marine or fresh)

Bilateral
Triploblastic

Bilateral
Triploblastic

Bilatral
Triploblastic

Psuedocoelomates
Organ-system

Coelomate
Organ-system

Coelomate
Organ-System

Forms

NIL

Skeleton

NIL

Metametrically
segmented
NIL

Coelomate
Organ-system
Body has had, thorax
and abdomen and
jointed appendages
NIL
Body is covered by a
chitinous exoskeleton

Body is covered with

calcareous shell

Sexual organs

Dioecious : Sexes are

Can be dioecious

Dioecious (mostly)

Dioecious

Characteristic
s
Common
Name
Habitat

Symmetry
Triploblastic
or Diploblastic
Coelom
Organisation

NIL

Reproduction
Digestion
Fertilisation
Development
Others

Examples

separate
Females are longer
than males
NIL
NIL
Internal
Direct or indirect
Alimentary canal has
a muscular pharynx
Excretory tube
removes body wastes
from the body through
the excretory pore

(Nereis) or monoecious
(earthworms or leeches)
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
Longitudinal and circular
muscles help in
locomotion
Aquatic annelids
(Neresis) possess lateral
appendages which help
in swimming
Circulatory system:
closed
Nephridia help in
osmoregulation and
excretion
Neural system consists
of paired ganglia
connected by lateral
nerves to a double
neutral nerve cord

NIL
NIL
Usually internal
Direct or indirect
Respiratory organs:
antennae, eyes
(compound or simple),
statocysts, balance
organs are present
Open circulatory
system
Excretion takes place
through malphigian
tubes
Mostly oviparous
(producing through
eggs)

Ascaris (Round Worm),

Wuchereria (Filaria
worm), Ancylostoma
(Hookworm)

Nereis, Pheretima
(Earthworm) and
Hirudinaria (Leech)

Api(Honey Bee),
Aedes, Anopheles,
Culex (mosquito)
Locusta (Locust)
Limulus (King Crab)

NIL
NIL
NIL
Indirect
Unsegmented with a
distinct head, muscular
foot and visceral hump
A soft and spongy lalyer
forms a mantle over the
visceral layer
The space between the
hump and the mantle is
called the mantle cavity in
which feather like glls are
present (Respiratory and
excretory functions)
Anterior head region has
sensory tentacles
Mouth contains file-like
rasping organ for feeding
called radula
Mostly oviparous
Pila (Apple snail), Pinctada
(Pearl Oyster), Sepia
(Cuttlefish), Loligo(Squid),
Octopus, Aplysia (SeaHare), Dentalium (Tuskshell) and Chaetopleura
(Chiton)

Class Cyclostomata
Characteristics
Description

All are ecoparasites

on some fishes
They have an
elongated body
bearing gill slits for
respiration
They have a sucking
and circular mouth
without jaws
Their body has no
scales and paired
fins
Their vertebral
column is
cartilaginous

Chondrichthyes
Streamlined body
with cartilaginous
endoskeleton.
Mouth is located
ventrally.
Notochord is
persistent
throughout life.
Gill slits are separate
and without
operculum (gill
cover).
The skin is tough
containing minute
placoid scales.
Teeth are modified
placoid scales, which
are backwardly
directed.
Jaws are very
powerful.
These animals are
predaceous.
Due to the absence
of air bladder, they
have to swim
constantly to not
sink.
Heart is twochambered(one

auricle and one

ventricle) Some of
them have electric
organs (eg Torpedo)
and possess poison
sting(Trygon)
Habitat

Circulation
Example

Marine
migrate to fresh
water for spawing
larvae after
metamorphosis
returns to the ocean
Closed type
circulation
Petromyzon
(Lamprey) and
Myxine(Hagfish)

Marine