Phylum-6 Phylum-7 Phylum-8 Phylum-9 Phylum-10

PARAMETERS Annelida Arthropoda Mollusca Echinodermata Hemichordata

(Segmented worms) (Joint appendages) (Soft bodies) (Spiny skinned) (Half chordates)
Habitat/Habit Aquatic (marine, fresh water) Aquatic, terrestrial, air Aquatic, terrestrial (forest, desert, Exclusively marine (Bottom of sea) Exclusively marine
Terrestrial underground) Free living
Level of Organisation Organ system Organ system Organ system Organ system Organ system

Symmetry Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Adult: Radial symmetry Bilateral

Asymmetrical: adult Pila Larva: Bilateral symmetry
Germ Layer Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic

Coelom Coelomate Coelomate Coelomate Coelomate Coelomate

(first animal-true coelome)
Body Form True segmented body Head, thorax, abdomen Head (mouth, tentacles, eyes etc) Body shape varies: Anterior- Proboscis (soft and conical
Visceral hump (digestive tract & some visceral Star like: star fish shape)
organs) Globular: Sea urchin Middle- Collar (short and cylindrical)
Muscular foot Cylindrical: Sea cucumber Posterior- Trunk (flat and
differentiated into parts )
Exoskeleton X Chitinous (N-Acetyl glucosamine) Calcareous shell (Exception-Octopus) X X
Endoskeleton X X X Calcareous ossicles (small bones) -
Digestive System Complete Complete digestive system with glands Complete digestive system Complete Complete
Extracellular digestion Extracellular digestion Extracellular digestion Mouth-ventral side (lower)
Radula- chitinous teeth Anus-dorsal side (upper)
Respiratory system Cutaneous respiration Gills, Book gills, Book lungs, Tracheal Feather like gills in mantle cavity Dermal branchiae (skin gills or papulae) and Gills
Branchial respiration system Terrestrial animals-lungs tube feet
Circulatory system Closed type (Leech-open type) Open Open (Cephalopods- closed) Reduced and open type Open type
Excretory System Nephridia (coiled tubes) Malpighian tubules Gills for excretion and respiration (organ of Absent Proboscis gland
Bojanus or Keber’s organor pericardial gland) Diffuse out by coelomic fluid
Nervous system Paired ganglia connected to double Paired ganglia connected to double Paired ganglia - -
ventral nerve cord ventral nerve cord
Asexual reproduction X X X - -
Sexual reproduction Monoecious (hermaphrodites): Mostly diecious, mostly oviparous Usually dioecious Usually dioecious Dioecious
Earthworm, leech (Scorpians-viviparus) Monoecious: Doris etc Sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction
Dioecious: Nereis Usually oviparous
Fertilisation External/internal Usually internal Internal (common), external Usually external External in sea water
Development Direct/indirect Direct/indirect Direct Indirect Indirect with free swimming larva
indirect (common) Free swimming
Metameric segmentation & true Special sense organ: Soft and spongy layer of skin forms a thin and Body covered with spines Worm like cylindrical body with
Unique features coelom Eye (simple/compound) delicate covering over the visceral hump Water vascular system proboscis, collar and trunk
Longitudinal and circular muscle for Antennae called Mantle Head absent Collar bears stomochord
locomotion-Setae/parapodia Statocyst (balancing) Sensory organs: tentacles, eyes, statocyst, Calcareous endoskeleton Very soft, fragile, worm like
Jointed appendages smell receptors and Osphradium Excretory system absent Connecting link between non chordate
and chordate
Nereis (Sand worm) Economically important: Pila (Apple snail) Asterias (Star fish) Balanoglossus
Examples Pheretima (Earth worm) Apis (honey bee), Bombyx (Silk-worm), Pinctada (Pearl oyster) Echinus (Sea urchin) Saccoglossus
Hirudinaria (Leech) Laccifer (Lac insects) Sepia (Cuttle fish) Echinocardium
Vectors: Loligo (Squid) Antedon (Sea lily)
Anopheles (Malaria), Culex (Filariasis) Octopus (Devil fish) Cucumaria (Sea cucumber)
Aedes (Dengue), Xenopsylla/ Rat flea Aplysia (Sea hare) Ophiura (Brittle star)
(Plague), Glossina (Tse-tsefly)-sleeping Dentalium (Tusk shell)
sickness, Phelebotomus (Sand fly)- Kala- Chaetopleura (Chiton)
azar
Gregarious pest: Locusta
Living Fossil: Limulus (King crab)
Dr. Bheem Prasad, [email protected], 09835717523