Comparing Features of Invertebrates

Fill in Table 1-3 as you analyze the following Invertebrates. Fill in each of the columns as you go along and study each group. I have filled out the Porifera
column for you.
Table 1-3. Comparison of animal phyla by features
Phylum name
Feature
Porifera Cnidarian Platyhelminth Annelida Mollusca Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Body Asymmetric Radial Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral

Symmetry body

Segmentation Non segmented Non Absent Partitions Absent Segmented None Somitoge
segmented nesis

Type of Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic exoskeleton exoskeleton Endoskeleton Endostyl

skeleton e

Digestive no Digestive incomplete no Digestive Tract Complete complete Complete Complete Complete
Tract Type Tract Digestive Digestive digestive Digestive digestive tract
Tract Tract tract Tract

Nervous Non organized Simple Net Small bundles of Two cerebral brain, with dorsal brain simple radial Central
System Type nerves (ganglia) ganglia nerve cords and a nervous Nervous
ventral, system System
ganglionate
d
longitudinal
nerve cord

Respiration None Internal cavity Cutaneous Cutaneous gills gills simple gills gills and
Method respiration respiration lungs

Unique Pores, collar Body two basic stages, are a mantle Highly They are All have
Features cells multicellular, sessile polyp and triploblastic, with a cavity developed exclusively a
few tissues, swimming medusa, body is used for sense marine animals. notochor
some both tentaculate; covered with a breathing organs. d, dorsal
organelles. includes thin cuticle, and hollow
anemones, corals, are coelomate excretion, nerve
sea whips. cord,
pharynge
al slits,
and a
post-anal
 tail.

Economic Tools, Craft No major fertility of the soil, aerate soil, important pollinating Echinoderms Main
Importance Items, Gifts impact nutrient supply to excrement luxury crops, are used as source of
the water system fertilizes fields goods producing food, medicine, food for
honey, and a source of humans
eating or lime for & live our
parasitizing farmers. homes as
insect pests, pets
decomposin
g waste

Environmenta Solitary, filter use their exchange gases reworking of helping to Some are important part Humans
lNiche feeders cnidocysts to like carbon soil and structure decomposer of the ocean are
trap prey dioxide, oxygen sediments aquatic s food chain, chordate
items and ammonia bottom keeping s and
across bodies environment seaweed in many of
s and check as our food
providing grazers and is as
habitat, serving as food well.
protection, sources for
and food to animals like
a wide array otters.
of other taxa