The Classification of Animals, Types, and

Characteristics

Birds and Chameleon are Vertebrates

Natural classification of animals divides all the animals around to 2 main groups
as Vertebrates and Invertebrates. Here on Smart Science Pro, we have written
about natural classification of plants already. Now it is the right time for you to learn about
the classification of animals.

I’m not going to explain about invertebrates in this post since I have hoped for a separate
post about them.

Modern science is really exciting and innovative. However, humans still haven’t finished
counting all the living organisms in the world. That same fact is true for animals too. So far
humans have identified over 1 Million animal species around and another million or more
may be in the process of investigating and identifying.

Due to the characteristics of the natural classification introduced by Carolus Linnaeus, all of
these animals show a common relationship between them. Phylum and Genetic relationship
is highlighted in a natural classification.

Classification of animals improved much in the 10th edition of the Carolus Linnaeus’s book
– System Nature – written in 1758. That’s the classification system used at nowadays.
Characteristics of Vertebrates
Vertebrates are the key group of the whole animal kingdom. They have their own unique
features and below are some of the important ones,

 Animals that have improved mental state.

 Usually there is a post anal nail.
 Have a vertebral column or backbone.
 Availability of tubular nerve cord which is covered by vertebral column.
 Anterior end of the nerve cord, the brain is formed.
 Have a skull made with bones to cover the brain.

Easiest way to find an animal is a vertebrate or invertebrate is to check the presence of their
vertebral column. Simply, all animals which have a backbone are vertebrates while those
who don’t have a backbone are considered as invertebrates.

All the vertebrates are classified under 5 main groups as mentioned below.

1. Amphibians – Amphibia
2. Birds – Aves
3. Fish – Pisces
4. Mammals – Mammalia
5. Reptiles – Reptilia

I’ll explain the main characteristics of each of these vertebrates below.

Features of Amphibians – Amphibia

Amphibians live on both aquatic environments and land environments. Usually all of the
amphibians have 4 legs with webbed feet. The reproduction method of these animals is
laying eggs.

Amphibians are good swimmers as well as they have the ability of crawling or hopping in
the land. They are cold-blooded animals.

Do you know that the frog is an amphibian who proves the Recapitulation theory of
Haeckel – Every animal shows its ancestral history. Frog has a life cycle stage called tadpole
stage where it look very similar to a fish.

Examples for Amphibians

– Frog
– Toad
– Salamander
– Caecilian

Features of Birds – Aves

Birds have hollow bones and feathers attached to their body surface. They are warm blooded
vertebrates which means they can regulate their own body temperature. Their movement
method is flying. So the front limbs have been turned to wings.

All birds have a beak with no teeth inside mouth.

Examples for Birds
– Pigeon
– Eagle
– Crow
– Sparrow
– Parrot

Features of Fish – Pisces

Fish are aquatic animals that live on both fresh, brackish and sea water. As a result of that
they have fins for swimming purposes. Their respirator organ is the gills available near the
head. Almost all the fish have a streamlined body shape.

Mode of movement is swimming as you figured already. Do you know there is an evidence
to prove that land life on earth is due to the evolution of fish. Oxygen needed for respiration
is obtained by the water and from atmosphere sometimes.

Examples for Fish

– Tuna
– Shark
– Salmon
– Goldfish
– Catfish

Features of Mammals – Mammalia

Mammals are the most developed group of vertebrates and they are warm blooded animals.
Their body is divided to few parts as head, neck, trunk, limbs. Nose, external ears and eyes
are the parts that can be quickly identified.

Mammals have improved fore-limbs which they use to fly, swim or walk depending on the
environment they live in.
Little ones feed on milk.

Examples for Mammals

– Humans
– Elephant
– Chimpanzee
– Dogs
– Cats

Features of Reptiles – Reptilia

Just like other vertebrate types, reptiles live on both land and water – Some live on Water or
Land or both. Reproduction is through eggs. Reptiles are animals who crawl and usually they
have 4 limbs, but there are types who don’t have any limbs and they are known as snakes.

Examples for Reptiles

– Lizard
– Tortoises
– Crocodiles
– King cobra
– Chameleons
Invertebrates:
Invertebrates are those organisms that lack backbone/vertebra in their bodies. Over 90% of
animal species are invertebrates. Invertebrates play a significant role in the ecosystem.

Some invertebrates help in cleaning the unneeded bacteria and fungi from the environment
and turning them into fertilizers to nutrify the soil. Also, invertebrates help to grow crops
through pollination and maintain their quality.

Table of Content

1.What are Invertebrates?

2.Characteristics of Invertebrates

3.Classification of Invertebrates

4.Things to Remember

5.Sample Questions

What are Invertebrates?

The term ‘Vertebrate’ is acquired from the Latin word "vertebra" which basically means a
joint. In contrast to this, an invertebrate refers to animals without joints because the prefix
"in" in invertebrate means "not" or "without".

In simple words, "invertebrates'' are creatures which lack a spinal column in their body.
These animals basically don't have a backbone and never in their lifetime does it evolve. This
is the major difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. They are soft-bodied animals
from inside but have a tough and rigid outer skeleton for protecting themselves.
About 98% of the animal species or genera are invertebrates. They include sea stars, sea
urchins, insects, crabs, spiders, snails, squid, jellyfish, sponges, octopus and many more.
Invertebrates are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals i.e., their body temperature keeps on
changing with any change in the environment and therefore they can survive both on land
and in water.

Also, invertebrates are the unrecognized heroes of the ecosystem as they provide numerous
services such as pollination, decomposition, nutrient release and many more which are
crucial for the survival of nature and human beings. Invertebrates are of different sizes which
vary from 50um rotifers to 56 ft colossal squid.

Characteristics of Invertebrates
Invertebrates exhibit a number of characteristics unique to them:

Symmetry

All invertebrates have some sort of symmetry that can be radial, bilateral, biradial, spherical
or even asymmetrical. Microscopic invertebrates and Macroinvertebrates are mostly
bilateral, radial and biradial. But some invertebrates can be asymmetrical (having no
symmetry) too, such as phylum Porifera (sponges), gastropods (sea snails, snails).
Asymmetry can also be seen in fiddler and hermit crabs.

Size

All invertebrates are of different sizes ranging from microscopic Nematodes to 50 ft

Platyhelminthes.
Shape

Invertebrates vary from shape to shape. Some invertebrates are plant-like such as Porifera
and Cnidaria; some are vermiform such as Nematodes and Annelids; some are star-like such
as starfish and some are leaf and ribbon-like such as flatworms.

Reproduction

Most of the invertebrates partly reproduce by sexual reproduction like vertebrates. Some of
them reproduce through asexual mode and some reproduce through both the modes.

Classification of Invertebrates
Invertebrates are classified and divided into 2 main categories— Microscopic
invertebrates and Macro-invertebrates, having 9 phyla which are provided in the table
given below with examples:
 Microscopic Invertebrates

Phylum Examples
Nematoda Threadworm, Whipworm, Eelworm

Phylum Nematoda

Also called roundworms, Nematodes have bilaterally symmetrical, cylindrical and

unsegmented bodies. They are mostly found in water bodies and soil. These organisms are
mostly microscopic but some species can be up to 2 inches. Though having a minute size,
they are capable of causing diseases like, filariasis, trichinosis.

Macro-invertebrates

Phylum Examples
Porifera Sponges
Ctenophora Comb jellies
Cnidaria Sea anemones, Hydra, Jellyfish
Echinodermata Starfish, Sea urchins, Sea cucumbers
Platyhelminthes Flatworms, Tapeworms, Turbellaria
Annelida Earthworms, Ragworms, Leeches
Arthropoda Insects, Crabs, Centipedes
Mollusca Octopus, Squid, Snails

Phylum Porifera

As the name "Porifera" suggests, these are multicellular organisms that have ostia (pores) all
over their body. They are spongy in appearance and hence called sponges. They do not move
as they are attached to the substratum. They can absorb and retain fluids. Initially, they were
considered as plants because of their green colour but after observing their feeding habits and
life cycle, they are referred to as animals. They are a few centimetres in size but can be as tall
as 6.6 ft.
Phylum Ctenophora

Also called comb jellies or sea walnuts, ctenophores have jelly-like, transparent and
biradially symmetrical bodies having comb-like ciliary plates for movement. They are
mostly seen in shallow water bodies. They lack organs such as respiratory, circulatory,
skeletal and excretory. Their size ranges from 0.04 inches to 5 ft.

Phylum Cnidaria

Also called coelenterata, Cnidarians have two cell layered, radially symmetrical bodies.
Their size ranges from Hydra (less than a half mm) to the Lion's mane jellyfish (20 mm)
which is the largest Cnidarian.
Phylum Echinodermata

These are colourful, unsegmented, multicellular marine organisms found in deep seas having
calcium carbonate skeleton and ability to regenerate. Their size ranges up to 6.6 ft.

Phylum Platyhelminthes

These are bilaterally symmetrical organisms having an unsegmented body except in Cestoda
class. They do not have endo and exoskeleton and therefore have a soft body. They have a
complicated reproductive system. They have feeding habits of carnivores or scavengers.
Trematodes' size are generally between 0.04 to 0.4 inches but few species have sizes even
greater than 50 ft.

Phylum Annelida

These organisms have bilaterally symmetrical, segmented bodies which vary in size (below
1mm to 3m). They have a good digestive and circulatory system. Their blood contains
haemoglobin which makes it red coloured.
Phylum Arthropoda

This phylum is the largest one in which organisms have bilaterally symmetrical bodies. Their
body is divided into three parts namely, head, thorax & abdomen. They have a good
digestive system and an open circulatory system. Their size ranges from 1mm to 4m.

Phylum Mollusca

These are amphibians having a bilaterally symmetrical body protected by a shell. Their body
is divided into three parts namely, head, a visceral mass, ventral foot. Their size can vary
from 1mm to 20m with few microscopic organisms too.
Things to Remember
 About 98% of the whole animal species are invertebrates.
 As mentioned earlier, invertebrates have a soft body as they do not possess a spinal
column but octopus is the only invertebrate which has a hard body part, its hooked beak.
 Invertebrates are ectotherms— cold-blooded organisms. Most of them live most of their
lives in water and if outside, they absorb heat from their surroundings.
 Most invertebrates go through a process called metamorphosis i.e., their body changes
their form as they develop.

Sample Questions
Ques. What are the major differences between vertebrates and invertebrates? (5
marks)

Ans. The major differences between invertebrates and vertebrates are:

1. Vertebrates have a vertebral column whereas invertebrates do not.

2. Vertebrates do not have an exoskeleton whereas invertebrates do.
3. The former are generally bigger in size than the latter.
4. Vertebrates have a closed circulatory system unlike invertebrates.
5. Vertebrates have bilateral, radial, biradial and a few have asymmetrical bodies but
invertebrates have asymmetrical bodies only.

Ques. Are invertebrates heterotrophic? (2 marks)

Ans. Yes, invertebrates are heterotrophic as they cannot make food on their own and need
other plants and animals to feed upon.

Ques. How are invertebrates able to survive without bones? (3 marks)

Ans. Invertebrates are able to survive without bones because of their exoskeleton (outer
body) which is made of shell, chitin etc. Their outer body provides protection to them against
various dangers.

Ques. How can invertebrates be identified? (2 marks)

Ans. Invertebrates have a soft body with no bones. Most of them have 6-8 legs or not even a
single one.

Ques. How are invertebrates helpful for our ecosystem? (1 mark)

Ans. Invertebrates are an important part of the food chain, they fulfil services like
pollination, decomposition and many more.
Ques. Which is the smallest invertebrate? (1 mark)

Ans. The rotifer is the smallest invertebrate which cannot be seen without a microscope. Its
size can be as small as 50um.

Ques. Which is the largest invertebrate? (1 mark)

Ans. The colossal squid is the largest invertebrate having eyes larger even than a whale. Its
size ranges up to 56 ft and it weighs at least 500 kg.