Invertebrates Comparison Table

Body Plan

Feeding

Respiration

Porifera

Cnidaria

Annelida

-asymmetrical
- central cavity

- radial
symmetry
- gastrovascular
cavity

- bilateral
symmetry
- pseudocoelom

- bilateral
symmetry
- true coelom

- bilateral symmetry

-filter feeders
- intracellular

- digest in

- full digestive
system
- filter feeders
- extracellular

- herbivores,
carnivores, filter
feeders,
detritivores, or
parasites
- digestive
system (siphon)
- extracellular

- herbivores, carnivores,

- diffusion

- diffusion

- diffusion

- diffusion

- diffusion (have tracheal

gastrovascular
cavity
- extracellular
- paralyze prey
with cnidocytes

Mollusca

Arthropoda
- true coelom

blood suckers, filter

feeders, detritivores,
parasites, or omnivores
- extracellular
- mouthparts (ex. jaws)

tubes, spiracles, book

lungs, and gills for aquatic
arthropods)

Circulation

Excretion

Response

Reproduction

- diffusion

- diffusion

- diffusion

- diffusion

- no nervous
system
- protect
themselves by
producing
toxins

- nerve net

- can
reproduce
either sexually

- closed
circulatory
system
- blood vessels
- aortic arch

- closed or open

- nephridia

- nephridia
(excrete
ammonia in the
blood to filter)

- open circulatory system

circulatory
system
- blood vessels
- heart

- Terrestrial - Malpighian
tubules to extract waste
from blood and transfer to
feces
- Aquatic - diffusion

- simple nervous - nervous system

system with
- cephalization
several ganglia
- centralization
- nerves to
transmit
sensory/ control
information
- sense organs
- cephalization
- centralization

- well-developed nervous

- sexually and

- sexually

- sexually

asexually
- external

- hermaphroditic - varies (some

- external
hermaphroditic,

- sexually

system (nerve cord and

ganglia to control
movement)
- centralization
- cephalization (brain)

- Terrestrial - internal
fertilization

or asexually
- internal
fertilization

fertilization
- contain
specialized
reproductive
organs called
gonads

fertilization
- specialized
reproductive
organs: seminal
receptors
(female) and
seminal vesicles
(male)

external or
internal
fertilization, etc.)

- Aquatic - internal or
external fertilization