Invertebrates

Rachel Reed & Erin Baxter

 Importance
95-98% of all species
Pollination
Recycling
Food in many cultures
Food webs
Maintenance of ecological communities
 E.O. Wilson
If human beings were not so impressed by size
alone, they would consider an ant more
wonderful than a rhinoceros.
 Considerations in Aquatic Care
Marine vs. Freshwater
Water quality
Substrate, plants
Light
Water circulation
Other species in aquaria
Diet
 Considerations in Terrestrial Care
Safe, sanitary, not crowded
Temperature considerations
Substrate, plants
Water availability & mode of delivery
Arboreal species?
Air circulation
Diet
 Ctenophora Comb Jellies
Marine waters
Carnivorous Diet
Water requirements
dependent on species
Most are
hermaphroditic
Water Flow patterns
are important
Phylogeny
 Porifera Sponges
Primarily Marine; sessile
Water requirements
dependent on species
Unique feeding system;
tiny pores; water flow
necessary
Reproduce by both sexual
and asexual means
Phylogeny
 Cnidaria

Anemones Jellyfish

Radial symmetry,Hydrostatic
skeleton, Dimorphic development
Can sting!

Coral
 Anemones
Marine
Need excellent water condition
Most capture animal prey; zooanthellae
Variable but specific temperature requirements
dependent upon species
Asexual reproduction
Interspecific Aggression
 Jellyfish
Marine
Water flow patterns
Predators have stingers!
Sexual reproduction
Lots of species variability
 Coral

Marine
Water Quality Important!
Zooxanthellae; Most capture animal prey
Sexual & Asexual Reproduction
Can exhibit contact inhibition and interspecific
aggression in the tank
Hermatypic vs Ahermatypic
Phylogeny
Echinoderms
Marine http://www.studentreader.com/files/purplestarfishonrocks.jpg

Water quality important- toxicity problems

Diet is largely dependent on species
Asexual & sexual reproduction dependent on
species
Water vascular system locomotion, gripping,
feeding
Phylogeny
Sea Squirts
Sessile, marine
Environmental
management based
on species
Herbivorous diet
Sexual or Asexual
reproduction http://www.lancashiremcs.org.uk/gallery/pics/sea-squirt.jpg

90% of all
urochordates
 Gastropods
Marine & freshwater
Sessile and mobile
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/photos/SeagrassMolluscs.jpeg

Filter feeders
Tank Management
Substrate
Dioecious or hermaphroditic
 Cephalopods
Marine Aquatic
Varied diet
Active hunters http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/images/olc/nautilusj.baecker
_berlin_zoo_aquarium_pd600.jpg

Tank Management
Dioecious
Phylogeny
 Pogonophora & Vestimentifera
Deep sea dwelling worms!
Often grouped together

www.ucmp.berkeley.edu

www.nsf.gov
Phylogeny
 Annelids

Aquatic and terrestrial http://www.education.umd.edu/blt/pic/Annelids.jpg

Varied diet and feeding strategies

Environmental requirements dependent upon
species
Sexual reproduction; dioecious
Biomedical & ecological importance
Phylogeny
 Rotifers
Most freshwater but some
marine and terrestrial
Omnivores
Water Management
Parthenogenic or dioecious
Phylogeny
Flatworms (Turbellarians)
Mostly Aquatic
Varied diet
Commensal and parasitic
Tank Management
Varied reproduction
http://www.dhadm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/flatworm02.jpg
 Nematodes

Aquatic & Marine

Varied diet
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/images/large_todes_LR.jpg

Mostly parasitic
Environment Management
Dieocious or parthenogenic
Phylogeny
 Tardigrades
Marine, freshwater
& terrestrial
Water bears http://www.uea.ac.uk/~b444219/images/TNWP_Echiniscus%20madonnae%20(SEM).jpg

Cryptobiosis
Phylogeny
 Onychophora

Tropical, terrestrial
Velvet worms or walking worms
Prey on smaller arthropods
Phylogeny
 Crustaceans

Terrestrial and Aquatic

Diet dependent on species www.britannica.com/eb/art/print?id=104965

Tank Management
Dieocious
Economic importance
Phylogeny
 Insects

Predominantly terrestrial
Varied Diet
Environmental Management
Reproduction
Social Systems
Economical & Ecological Importance
Phylogeny
Myriapods

Terrestrial
Diet dependent on species
Well defined environmental
requirements
Dieocious; some parthenogenic
 Myriapods
Millipedes Centipedes
Mostly herbivorous Mostly carnivorous
Two pairs per body One pair of legs per body
segment segment
Non-aggressive; slow Aggressive; fast!
Easy to handle Extremely hard to handle;
venomous

http://cordially.narod.ru/album/insect/images/home-centipede.jpg
http://www.garden-city.org/zoo/animalinfo/images/milipede_76pic.jpg
 Millipedes
Substrate: 8-10cm of soil with
3-4cm of leaf litter on top
Temperature
Humidity
Diet: leaf litter, fruits & vegetables
Reproduction
 Centipedes
Soil covered with leaf litter or mulch
Temperature
Humidity
Light
Diet: mix of live and dead invertebrates, dead
pinky mice, day old chicks, adult mice, etc.
Reproduction
Phylogeny
 Horseshoe Crabs
Marine, Aquatic
Captive diet http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~simmons/16cm05/1116/33-28-HorseshoeCrabs.jpg

Various habitats
Dieocious
Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) extracted from
hemolymph- Pharmaceutical use
Phylogeny

SPIDERS!
Arachnids
 Scorpions
Terrestrial
Carnivorous
Environment: mostly
desert
Sexual reproduction
 Spiders
Aquatic & terrestrial
Carnivores
Diverse Environments
Sexual Reproduction
Silk!
 Terrestrial Spiders
Arboreal vs. Non-arboreal
Diet
Substrate
Temperature & humidity
Lighting
Aquatic Spiders
Natural environment
Diet
Water Quality
Underwater air bells
Silk
Made of Amino Acids
Very stable
Very Strong
Genetic Isolation
Production
Application
 Resources
Lewbart, Gregory (ed.). 2006.
Invertebrate Medicine.Blackwell
Publishing, Ames, Iowa.
Frye, Fredric L. 1992. Captive
Invertebrates. Krieger Publishing
Company, Malabar, Florida.
Pechenik, Jan A. 2000. Biology of
the Invertebrates. McGraw-Hill.
[5th ed is 2005.]