1.

BASIS OF CLASSIFICATION
• Animals are classified on the basis of certain common fundamental
features; they are:
a) Levels of organization of cells
b) Body symmetry
c) Nature of coelom
d) Body plan
e) Segmentation of the body
f) Pattern of development
g) Presence or absence of Notochord
Body symmetry
Nature of coelom
Notochord
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF
DIFFERENT PHYLA –
A. Phylum: Porifera
(Animals are commonly called sponges)
1) They are generally marine, but few like
Spongilla are fresh-water.
2) They have cellular level of organisation.
3) They are asymmetrical.
फाइलम: पोरिफेिा
(जानवर आमतौर पर स्पंजी प्रकार के होते
है )
1)वे आम तौर पर समुद्री होते हैं, लेककन
स्पॉन्जजला जैसे कुछ जीव ताजे पानी के
होते हैं।
2) उनके पास संगठन का सेलल ु र स्तर है ।
3) असमममत होते हैं।
They have a water canal or water transport
system in which water enters through the minute pores, called
ostia in the body wall and reaches the central cavity, called
spongocoel and goes out through the large terminal opening,
called osculum; spongocoel and the radial canals are lined by
choanocytes or collar cells.
This pathway helps in food gathering, respiratory exchange of
gases and removal of metabolic wastes.

5. The body is supported by a skeleton of spicules or spongin

fibres.
6. Digestion is intracellular.
7. Animals reproduce asexually by fragmentation
(regeneration) and by gemmules.
8. Animals are hermaphrodite/bisexual; fertilisation is
internal and development is indirect with a free-
swimming larva e.g., Sycon, Euspongia, Spongilla,
etc.
 B. Phylum: Cnidaria –
(Animats are also called coelenterates, as they have a central
gastrovascular cavity)
1. Animals are aquatic, mostly marine and a few are freshwater forms.
2. They show tissue level of organisation and are diploblastic.
3. Animals are radially symmetrical.
4. The name cnidaria is derived from cnidoblasts or cnidocytes, which
contain the stinging cells, called nematocytes, present on the tentacles
and the body wall; cnidoblasts are meant for anchorage, defence and
capture of prey.
5. They have a central gastrovascular cavity, with a mouth
opening on the hypostome.
6. Digestion is partly intracellular and partly extracellular.
7. Some cnidarians (like corals) have a skeleton composed of
calcium carbonate.
8. Cnidarians show two basic body forms - Polyp and Medusa.
- Polyp is sessile and cylindrical in Hydra and Adamsia.
- Medusa is free-swimming and umbrella like as in Aurelia
and Physalia.
- Cnidarians like Obelia exist in the forms and exhibit
alternation of generations (metagenesis), where the polyps
produce medusae by asexual reproduction and medusae
produce polyps by sexual reproduction, e.g., Pennatula,
Gorgonia, Physalia, Adamsia, Meandrina, etc.
C. Phylum: Ctenophora
(Animals are commonly called sea walnuts or comb jellies)
1. They are exclusively marine.
2. They have tissue level of organisation and are diploblastic.
3. They are radially symmetrical.
4. The body bears eight external rows of ciliated comb-plates, which help
in locomotion.
5. Digestion is partly extracellular and partly intracellular.
6. Bioluminescence is well marked.
7. Animals are hermaphrodite and reproduce only sexually; fertilisation
is external and development is indirect. e.g., Pleurobrachia, Ctenoplana.
D. Phylum: Platyhelminthes
(Animals are called flatworms, because their body is dorso-ventrally
flattened)
1. Animals are mostly parasitic (endoparasites), on other animals
including human beings.
2. They show organ level of organisation (some show organ-system
level) and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical.
4. They are acoelomates.
5. Parasitic forms have hooks and suckers; some of them absorb the
nutrients from the host directly through their body surface.
6. Specialised cells, called flame cells, perform excretion and
osmoregulation.
7. Animals show non-metameric segmentation.
8. Animals are hermaphrodite; fertilisation is internal and
development includes many larval stages. (Self-fertilisation
occurs mostly)
- Planaria has high regeneration capacity.
e.g., Taenia, Fasciola, etc.
 E. Phylum: Aschelminthes
(Animals are called round worms, because the body has a circular outline in cross-
section)
1. They are free-living (terrestrial or aquatic), or parasitic on plants or animals.
2. They have an organ-system leve organisation and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical.
4. Digestive system is complete with a mouth opening and an anal opening; pharynx is
well-developed and muscular.
5. Animals are pseudocoelomates.
6. An excretory tube removes the wastes from the body cavity through an excretory
pore.
7. Animals are unisexual/dioeceous and show sexual dimorphism; fertilisation is
internal and development is direct in some and indirect in some.e.g., Ascaris,
Wuchereria, Ancylostoma, etc.
F. Phylum: Annelida
(Animals are called annelids, because their body surface is marked into
ring-like (annulus: little ring) segments.
1. Animals are terrestrial, aquatic-marine or freshwater or parasitic.
2. They show organ-system level of organisation and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical.
4. They show metameric segmentation, where the body surface is
distinctly marked into segments, called metameres.
5. Locomotion is aided by longitudinal and circular muscles; chaetae are
meant for locomotion and aquatic animals have parapodia, the triangular
projections from the body.
6. Animals have a closed circulatory system, with ventral
hearts and blood has haemoglobin, dissolved in plasma.
7. Respiration is through moist skin.
8. Nephridia help in excretion and osmoregu lation.
9. Nervous system consists of paired ganglia connected by
double-ventral nerve cord.
10. Animals are bisexual/hermaphrodite; sexual reproduction
involves internal fertilisation (only cross fertilisation) and
development is direct or indirect. e.g., Pheretima, Hirudinaria,
Nereis, etc.
Earthworm
G. Phylum: Arthropoda
(This is the largest phylum of animal kingdom; animals possess jointed
appendages (arthrosjointed, poda-appendages) and hence called
arthropoda).
1. Body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen; in Crustaceans and
Arachnids, head and thorax are fused to form cephalothorax.
- Body is covered by a chitinous exoskeleton.
2. They have organ-system level of organisation and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical.
4. The digestive system is complete.
5. Circulatory system is of open type; the body fluid, haemolymph is
present in the haemocoel.
6. Respiration is by tracheal system, book lungs, gills, etc.
7. Nervous system includes a brain, segmental ganglia and double
ventral nerve cord; sense organs are antennae, simple/compound eyes,
statocysts/balancing organs, etc.
8. Excretion is by malpighian tubules.
9. Animals are unisexual; fertilisation is internal and development may
be direct or indirect. g.,
(a) Economically useful insects: Bombyx, Laccifer, Apis.
(b) Vectors that spread the diseases: Anopheles, Culex, Aedes.
(c) Gregarious pest: Locusta.
(d) Living fossil: Limulus
H. Phylum: Mollusca
(It is the second largest phylum of animal kingdom that includes soft-
bodied (mollis-soft) animals)
1. Animals are aquatic-both marine and freshwater and when terrestrial,
found in moist places.
2. They show organ-system level of organisation and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical, but in some symmetry is lost due to
torsion.
4. Body is divided into head, visceral mass hump and a muscular foot; a
soft spongy layer of skin, called mantle is formed over the visceral mass.
- The space between the mantle and the visceral mass, is called mantle
cavity.
5. Gills/ctenidia are present in the mantle cavity and they are
respiratory and excretory in function.
6. Circulatory system is of open type and body fluid has
haemocyanin.
7. The mouth contains a file-like rasping organi called radula.
8. Animals are unisexual; fertilisation is internal and
development includes larval stages, i.e., it is indirect. e.g., Pila,
Pinctada, Sepia, Octopus, Aplysia, Dentalium, Chaetopleura,
Loligo, etc.
I. Phylum: Echinodermata
(They have an endoskeleton of calcareous ossicles (echinus-
spiny and derma-skin) and are spiny skinnned
1. Animals are exclusively marine.
2. They show organ- system level of organisation and are
triploblastic.
3. The adults are rad ally symmetrical and larvae are
bilaterally symmetrical.
4. Digestive system is complete with a ventral mouth and a dor
al anus.
5. Presence of water vascular system is a distinct
feature; it helps in locomotion, food capture and its
transport and respiration.
6. An excretory sysiem is absent.
7. Animals are unisexual and fertilisation is external;
development is indirect with free swimming,
bilaterally symmetrical larvae. e.g., Asterias, Ante don,
Cucumaria, Ophiura, Echinus, etc.
 J. Phylum: Hemichordata
(This phylum was kept under Chordata as a. sub-phylum, but now is
made a separate phylum under non-chordata)
1. Animals are worm-like and exclusively marine.
2. They exhibit organ-system level of organisation and are triploblastic.
3. They are bilaterally symmetrical.
4. Body is divided into proboscis, collar and trunk.
5. Respiration is by gills.
6. Circulatory system is of open type.
7. Proboscis gland is the excretory organ.
8. Animals are unisexual; fertilisation is external and development is
indirect. e.g., Balanoglossus, Saccoglossus, etc.
K. Phylum: Chordata
फाइलम: कोरडाटा
(Chorda dorsalis, the notochord is characteristic of this
phylum)
1. All animals have a notochord either throughout life or
during developmental stages only or it is replaced by a
vertebral column.
2. The central nervous system is dorsal, hollow and includes a
single nerve cord. 3. Paired pharyngeal gill slits are present;
they are functional throughout life or only during embryonic
developmental stages.
4. They possess a post-anal tail.
5. They have a closed circulatory system with a ventral
heart and haemoglobin in erythrocytes.
6. Animals are eucoelomates.
7. They show organ-system level of organisation and
are triploblastic.
(i) Sub-Phylum: Cephalochordata
उप-फाइलम: सेफलोकाडेटा
e.g., Branchiostoma (Amphioxus).

(ii) Sub-Phylum: Urochordata

उप-फाइलम: उरोकाडेटा
e.g., Salpa, Doliolum, Ascidia, etc. .
(iii) Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata
उप-फलम: कशेरुकाता
1. Notochord is present in the embryonic stages and is replaced by
the vertebral column in adults.
2. They have a closed circulatory system with a ventral heart with
two, three or four chambers and haemoglobin in the red blood cells
(erythrocytes).
3. Animals have kidneys for excretion and osmoregulation.
4. Paired lateral appendages are present in the form of fins or limbs.
(a) Class: Cyclostomata
वर्ग: साइक्लोस्टोमेटा
(Cyclo-circular; stoma-opening/mouth; hence the animals with
circular mouth opening called cyclostomates)
1. Characteristically, they have a circular. Suctorial mouth, without
jaws.
2. They are ectoparasites on other fishes.
3.6-15 pairs of gill-slits are present
4. Body lacks scales and paired fins
5. Cranium and vertebral column are cartilaginous.
6. Circulation is of closed type.
7. Animals are marine, but move to freshwater spawning;
within a few days after spawning, they die.
(b) Class: Chondrichthyes
वर्ग: कान्ड्रिकन्ड्िस
(Animals are commonly called cartilaginous fishes (chondro-
cartilage; ichthyes-fish), as their endoskeleton is cartilaginous)
1. Body is fusiform/streamlined with cartilaginous endoskeleton.
2. Body is covered by placoid scales.
3. Mouth is ventral; teeth are modified placoid scales and are
pointed backwards.
4. Jaws are powerful and animals are predaceous.
5. 5-7 pairs of gill-slits are present, they are not covered by
operculum.
(6). Air-bladder is absent and animals have to swim constantly
to avoid sinking.
7. Heart is two-chambered.
8. Animals are poikilotherms fcold-blooded).
9. Some animals like Torpedo possess electric organs and
some like Trygon possess poison sting.
10 Animals are unisexual; fertilisation is internal and many are
viviparous. e.g., Scoliodon, Trygon, Pristis, Carcharodon, etc.
(c) Class: Osteichthyes
वर्ग: ओन्ड्स्टकन्ड्िस
(Animals are called bony fishes (osteo-bone; ichthyes-fish) as they have a
bony endoskeleton)
1. Body is streamlined with bony endo skeleton.
2. Body is covered by cycloid/ctenoid scales.
3. Mouth is terminal.
4. They have four pairs of gill-slits, covered by an operculum.
5. Air-bladder is present.
6. Heart is two-chambered.
8. Sexes are separate; fertilisation is external and development is
direct. e.g., Erocoetus, Hippocampus, Labeo, Catla, Pterophyllum,
Betta, etc.
(d) Class: Amphibia
वर्ग: उभयचर
(Animals show dual mode of life (amphi - two/ dual; bios – life), i.e., both
terrestrial and in water during breeding season)
1. Body is divided into head and trunk and tail is present in some; neck is
absent.
2. The trunk bears two pairs of limbs
3. Skin is moist and has mucous glands.
4. Eyes are large and projecting to compensate for the absence of neck.
5. Tympanum (ear drum) represents the ear.
6. Heart is three-chambered, with two auricles and one ventricle.
7. Alimentary canal, reproductive system and urinary system open into a
cloacal chamber that opens to the outside through cloacal aperture.
8. Animals are poikilotherms.
9. Respiration is by lungs (on land), by skin while in water and by gills in
tadpoles.
10. Sexes are separate; animals are oviparous with external fertilization.
11. Development involves a tadpole larva. e.g., Ichthyophis.
(Limbless amphibian), Bufo, Rana, Salamandra, etc.
(e) Class: Reptilia
वर्ग: रे न्ड्टटन्ड्लया
(Because of their creeping or crawling habit, animals are called
reptiles).
1. Body is divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
2. Skin is dry without glands and body is covered by
horny/cornified skin or epidermal scales, called scutes. - Snakes and
lizards shed their scales a skin-cast.
3. Tympanum represents the ear.
4. Trunk bears two pairs of limbs.
5. Heart is three-chambered, except crocodiles, where it is
four chambered.
6. Animals are unisexual; fertilisation is internal and they
are ovoviviparous, i.e., the egg contains a fully-developed
young one at the time when it is laid, development is direct.
e.g., Calotes, Chameleon, Hemidactylus, etc. Poisonous
snakes: Vipera – Viper, Naja – Cobra, Bangarus – Krait, etc.
(f) Class: Aves
वर्ग:पक्षी
(Aves-birds; animals show aerial mode of life).
1. Body is divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
2. Body is covered by feathers and they can fly except a few like
ostrich.
3. Jaws are modified into beaks; teeth are absent.
4. Skin is dry without glands, except the oil/preen gland at the base
of tail.
5. Forelimbs are modified into wings and covered by feathers; hindlimbs have
scales and are modified for walking, perching, swimming, running, etc.
6. Endoskeleton is bony and bones are hollow with air cavities; such 'bones
are called pneumatic bones.
7. Digestive tract has two additional chambers crop and gizzard.
8. Heart is four-chambered and there is double circulation.
9. Animals are homoiotherms.
10. Respiration is by lungs and the air sacs connected to lungs supplement
respiration.
11. Animals are unisexual and exhibit sexual dimorphism; fertilisation is
internal and animals are oviparous and development is direct. e.g., Corvus,
Pavo, Neophron, Struthio, etc.
(g) Class: Mammalia
वर्ग: स्तनधारी
(Mammae-mammary glands; hence animals are called mammals) 1.
The characteristic feature of the class is the presence of mammae or
mammary glands, which are vestigeal in males, but functional in
females; the milk produced by them is used to nourish the young
ones.
2. Presence of hair on the body is also a unique feature.
3. External ear or pinnae are present.
4. Diaphragm is the muscular partition that divides the trunk
internally into thoracic and abdominal cavities.
5. Heart is four-chambered and there is double circulation.
6. Animals are homoiotherms.
7. Respiration is by lungs in all, irrespective of the habitat.
8. Fertilisation is internal and animals are viviparous with a few
exceptions like Ornithorhynchus, which is oviparous, but has
mammary glands. e.g., Macropus, Homo sapiens, Canis, Felis,
Camelus, etc.
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