UNIT 5.

INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS

UNIT 5: INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS (VIDEO)

INTRODUCTION: SPONGES (VIDEO)

Are there any natural sponges in your home? Yes? Then you have an invertebrate skeleton!

Appearance: Sponges have an

irregular body. They are not
symmetrical. Sponge skeletons can be
many different colours, even pink.

Habitat: Some sponges live in coral

reefs. They need salt water, warm temperatures,
water currents and lots of sunlight to live.

How they live: Sponges do not move around. Most

sponges attach themselves permanently to rocks or
the sea floor. There, the sea water moves in and out
of the body. Sponges filter nutritive substances from sea water to eat.

1. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS

Invertebrate animals are alike in one way: they have no inner skeleton or backbone.
Invertebrates differ, however, in size, shape
and body covering.

Size: Most invertebrates are symmetrical.

• Bilateral symmetry: two identical

halves or planes.
• Radial symmetry: several planes of
symmetry.
• Asymmetry: the body has no symmetry. It is irregular.

Body covering: Some invertebrate bodies are protected by shells or exoskeletons, but others
have no covering.

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2. WHERE AND HOW INVERTEBRATES LIVE

Invertebrates differ in their habitat and their movement.

• Many invertebrates live in the sea, but some live in fresh water and others on land.
• Most invertebrates can move. However, some do not move: they attach themselves to
rocks or the sea floor. Parasites live inside other animals and harm them.

Most invertebrates are oviparous. A larva hatches from an egg. At first, it does not look like
the adult. Later, its body changes.

3. INVERTEBRATE GROUPS

There are many groups of invertebrates. For example:

• Sponges have irregular bodies and no symmetry. They cannot move around. They attach
themselves to rocks or the sea floor. They filter seawater and retain the nutritive
substances for food.
• Cnidarians have jelly-like bodies with radial symmetry. They have tentacles which can
sting you. They are marine animals. Some, like coral and sea anemone, attach themselves
to rocks. Others, such as jellyfish, can move about.
• Worms have soft bodies with bilateral symmetry. Some are cylindrical, but others are
flat. Some worms are aquatic; others are terrestrial. Many are parasites.
• Echinoderms have five-way symmetry. They have a skeleton made of hard plates, often
with spines. They are covered by a thin skin. All are marine animals.
• Arthropods have bilateral symmetry. Their bodies are totally covered by an articulated
exoskeleton, like armour. Some are aquatic; others are terrestrial.
• Molluscs have soft body with bilateral symmetry. Many are covered with one or two
shells.

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ACTIVITIES:

1. Which characteristic do all invertebrates share?

- They have no legs.
- They hatch from eggs.
- They have a hard covering.
- They have no spinal column.
- They have a shell.

2. Identify these invertebrate groups.

a. They have a hard exoskeleton, and five-way symmetry.
b. They have long, soft bodies and bilateral symmetry.
c. They have radial symmetry and tentacles which sting.
d. They have no symmetry.

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3. Why is the river crab an arthropod? Name two characteristics.

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ARTHROPODS

1. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS

The most characteristic feature of arthropods is their

articulated exoskeleton. It is made up of many small plates and
covers the body, legs and antennae. Like a human skeleton, it
protects the body, but it is external.

The exoskeleton is rigid, so from time to time, the arthropod

moults, and grows a new one. This process is called moulting.
The new, more flexible exoskeleton enables the arthropod to
grow until it becomes rigid. (Crab video, tarantula video)

Arthropod sense organs are fairly well developed. They have Old
exoeskeleton
antennae and eyes. The eyes can be simple or compound.
Compound eyes are made up of thousands of smaller, simpler
A grasshopper moulting
“eyes”.

Insects, arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods are arthropods. (Video)

2. INSECTS

Insects are the most numerous animal group. An insect body is divided into three parts: head,
thorax and abdomen. The head has a mouth, two eyes and two antennae. The thorax has six
legs. Many insects also have wings on the thorax.

Insects are found in many different habitats except in the open sea. They eat many different
types of food.

Some insects, for example, bees or silkworms, produce substances which are useful for people.
Others are harmful. They cause illness, destroy crops or spoil food.

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Abdomen
3. ARACHNIDS

These arthropods have eight legs. An arachnids body is

made up of two parts: the abdomen and the cephalothorax.

Spiders and scorpions are arachnids. Most are terrestrial,

and some are carnivorous. They hunt and eat other animals.
Cephalothorax

4. CRUSTACEANS

Most crustaceans are aquatic. Many have ten legs, two pairs
of antennae and compound eyes on a pedicel. The body is
made up of two parts: the abdomen and the cephalothorax.

Many crustaceans are used for food: lobster, shrimp and

crabs, for example.

5. MYRIAPODS

These arthropods have long bodies made up of many Segment

identical segments. Each segment has one or two pairs of
legs. The head has one pair of short antennae. Ex: centipede
and millipede

ACTIVITIES:

1. What do all arthropods have in common? Select the true sentences.

- They have no legs - They have no shell - They live on land

- They are oviparous - They are viviparous - They have an

exoskeleton

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2. Can you match each silhouette with an arthropod group? What helped you?

This arthropod body is made up of… legs, a…, and … It is a/an…

MOLLUSCS

1. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS

Molluscs are symmetrical, invertebrate animals. They

have soft bodies which are protected by one or more
shells.

Molluscs vary with regard to their habitat,

respiration and movement. Most mollusks are aquatic,
but a few live on land.

There are three principal groups of mollusks:

gastropods, bivalves and cephalopods.

2. GASTROPODS

Gastropods have a head with four tentacles, where

the sense organs are located. They have a single foot
to move about. Marine gastropods eat algae, but most
terrestrial gastropods are herbivores.

Most gastropods have a single spiral shell which

protects their internal organs. Some, however, have no
shell: slugs, for example.

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Gastropods are useful for human beings. Some, like the common snail, are used for food. Others
are valued for their shells, which are made into jewellery.

3. BIVALVES

Most molluscs live in the sea. Bivalves have a shell made up of two articulated valves. The valves
can open and close. Bivalves have a soft body, but no apparent head.

Some bivalves, like mussels, attach themselves to rocks on the ocean floor. Others, like scallops
and oysters, move around.

To obtain food, bivalves filter salt water and retain its

nutritive substances. Many bivalves are valued as food for
humans: mussels, cockles and oysters, for example.

SQUID

4. CEPHALOPODS

Cephalopods have a well-developed brain. They have eight or

ten tentacles with suction cups.

All cephalopods are marine. They move their body and expel CUTTLEFISH
jets of water to go from one place to another.

Unlike other mollusks, cephalopods have no protective body

covering. Some, however, have a small internal skeleton,
called cartilage.

Cephalopods are carnivorous. They capture other animals with

OCTOPUS
their tentacles and eat them.

Some cephalopods are used as food for people: squid and octopus for example.

(Video)

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ACTIVITIES:

1. Match the columns to make six true sentences.

a. Gastropods 1. have two articulated valves 2. eat other animals

b. Bivalves 3. have eight or ten tentacles 4. eat algae or plants

c. Cephalopods 5. have a spiral shell 6. filter nutrients from water

2. What group of molluscs has no shell?

END OF UNIT ACTIVITIES:

1. Use the words to ask questions.

cnidarians expel sea water?

worms filter compound eyes?

arthropods grow exoskeletons?

echinoderms have shells?

Example: Do worms grow exoskeletons?

2. Identify the true sentences.

a. Some worms have flat bodies.

b. Most insects have wings.

c. Some cnidarians can move about.

d. Most arthropods are terrestrial.

e. Most crustaceans have eight legs.

• Write true or false sentences: Some bivalves have six legs.

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3. Read and guess the invertebrate.

Its body is made up of…

a. many identical segments.

b. an abdomen, a cephalothorax and ten legs.

c. an abdomen, a cephalothorax and eight legs.

d. a head, four tentacles and a single foot.

e. many segments, each with legs.

4. Read and match.

a. Worms 1. No shell

b. Cnidarians 2. No internal skeleton

c. Sponges 3. No exoskeleton

d. Invertebrates 4. No symmetry

e. Some gastropods 5. No head

• Summarise the information: Worms have no exoskeleton.

5. Complete the chart with six examples.

INVERTEBRATES

AQUATIC TERRESTRIAL

6. Read and tick. What do arthropods do to grow?

a. They eat. b. They moult. c. a and b.

7. What invertebrates do humans eat?

8. Invertebrates which attach themselves to something generally live in the sea. Why?

a. Most like to swim.

b. There are a lot of nutrients in seawater.

c. There are no nutrients in air.

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9. What animal does each shell belong to?

Group:

Name:

Terrestrial or aquatic?

Group:

Name:

Terrestrial or aquatic?

10. Are you in favour of insect collections or against them? Give your reasons.

a. All insects are living things.

b. Insects are food for other living things

c. Some insects cause disease.

d. Most insects are beautiful.

11. Copy and complete the word map

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12. Copy and complete the sentences. Use words from the word map.

• Invertebrates can be classified into various groups: _________________________and

_____ .

• Cnidarians__________________ coral, jellyfish and___________.

• Arthropods can be classified into_________________________________ and

__________ .

• Molluscs _________________ bivalves, ___________ and_________ .

13. Complete the tables.

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