Agnatha

• Agnatha, (Ancient Greek 'without jaws') is a Superclass of jawless fish

in the Phylum Chordata, SubPhylum Vertebrata.

• It consists of both extinct (conodonts and ostracoderms) and extant

(Cyclostomes) species.

• Among recent animals, cyclostomes are considered ‘sister organisms’

to all vertebrates with jaws, known as gnathostomes.
 AGNATHA GNATHOSTOMATA

Their mouths lack jaws. Jaws are present in their mouth.

It comprises most of the primitive craniates It comprises the advanced vertebrates.

Exoskeleton and appendages are absent in Paired appendages (fins and limbs are
them. present).

It includes cold-blooded animals These include both cold-blooded as well as

warm-blooded animals

. Notochord is present throughout life. In the embryonic stage, the notochord is

present while in adults it is replaced by the
vertebral column.
 OSTRACODERMS
• Ostracoderms (lit. 'shell-skins') are the armored jawless fish-like
organisms of the Palaeozoic Era.

• Ostracoderms encountered first as fragmented fossils.

• Occurs in the rocks of late Cambrian and middle Ordovician periods.

• Quite abundant during the upper Silurian and Devonian periods.

• Fossils were preserved in the bottom sediments of freshwater streams

• These organisms are unique in the use of their gills exclusively for
respiration.

• This is in contrast to earlier chordates with gill precursors who use

their gills purposes of respiration and feeding.

• Ostracoderms had separate pharyngeal gill pouches along the side of

the head, which were permanently open with no protective operculum.

• Unlike invertebrates that use ciliated motion to move food,

ostracoderms used their muscular pharynx to create a suction that
pulled small and slow moving prey into their mouths
• Ostracoderms have their heads covered with a bony shield.

• They are among the earliest creatures with bony heads.

• The microscopic layers of that shield appear to evolutionary biologists

as ‘little tooth-like structures’.

• This bony skull, one of the earliest in the fossil record, is made entirely
of little teeth-like material.

• Teeth originally arose to bite creatures; later a version of teeth was

used in a new way for defence."
• Ostracoderms existed in two major groups, the more primitive
heterostracans and the cephalaspids.

• The cephalaspids were more advanced than the heterostracans in that they
had lateral stabilizers for more control of their swimming.

• It was long assumed that pteraspidomorphs and thelodonts were the only
ostracoderms with paired nostrils, while the other groups have just a single
median nostril.

• It has since been revealed that even if galeaspidans have just one external
opening, it has two internal nasal organs
• After the appearance of jawed fish (about 420 mya), most ostracoderm
species underwent a decline, and the last ostracoderms became extinct at the
end of the Devonian period.

• Recent research indicates that the advent of jawed fish did not influence the
extinction of ostracoderms, as fossil evidence indicated their coexistence for
about 30 million years before their eventual extinction.

• The Class Ostracodermi has been placed in the Super Class Agnatha along
with the extant Class Cyclostomata, which includes lampreys and hagfishes.
•CLASS CYCLOSTOMATA

• The Cyclostomata (Gr., cyklos = circular + stoma = mouth) are the living agnathans, they are
primitive in many respects, but specialised in others.

• They are a modified and degenerate offshoot of the primitive vertebrate stalk, arose in the
Devonian.

•In the adult state they are parasitic or scavengers on fishes

• Cyclostomata is a group of chordates that comprises the living jawless fishes:
the lampreys and hagfishes.

• Both groups have round mouths that lack jaws but have retractable horny teeth.

• The name Cyclostomata means "round or circular mouths".

• Their mouths cannot close due to the lack of a jaw, so they have to constantly
cycle water through the mouth.
 GENERAL CHARACTERS OF CYCLOSTOMATA
• Cyclostomes are jawless primitive vertebrates. They may be marine or fresh-
water. They include hag fishes and lampreys.

• The body is long, eel like. It has a trunk and a compressed tail.

• These vertebrates do not have jaws, hence called Agnatha.

• The mouth is circular. It works like a sucker and is surrounded by tentacles.

• Tongue bears teeth.

• Stomach is absent and oesophagus leads into the intestine.

• Paired fins are absent. Median fin is supported by cartilaginous fin-rays.

• The skin i.e. soft and smooth. It is slimy. It is scale less.

• Z- shaped myomeres are present in the trunk and tail Protractor and
retractor muscles to move the tongue.

• In this group a true coelom is seen.

• Endoskeleton is present.

• Skull is simple and primitive.

• Notochord persists throughout life.

• Vertebrae are represented by neural arches, around the notochord.

• Five to sixteen pairs of gills are present in sac like pouches

• The heart is two chambered. Sinus venosus is present,

• Blood contains leucocytes and Irregular nucleated erythrocytes..

• Brain is seen.

• Ten pairs or less number of cranial nerves are present.

• Nasal sac is single and median.

• Lateral line sense organ is present.

• The tail is protocercal in cyclostomes, having a caudal fin extending around the
end of the vertebral column. The protocercal tail is formed by the division of tail
into two equal lobes supported by fins.
• Excretory system includes a pair of mesonephric kidneys.

• Sexes are separate (Dioecious).

• Gonad is single and without a gonoduct.

• Development may be direct or with a long larval stage.

 CLASSIFICATION

The Class Cyclostomata is divided into two Orders:

Order 1: Petromyzontiformes (Gr., petros = stone; myzon = suck):

Order 2: Myxiniformes (Gr., myxa = slime; oidea = type of):
Order Petromyzontiformes
• This includes Lampreys.

• The buccal funnel is suctorial and shows horny teeth.

• The mouth is present in the buccal funnel.

• The nasal sac is dorsal. It has no connection with the pharynx.

• Eyes are functional.

• Seven pairs of gill slits are present.

• A well-developed dorsal fin is present.

• Branchial basket is complete.

• Brain is well developed.

• Pineal eye is well developed.

• Ear has two semicircular canals.

• Development is indirect through Ammocoete larva

• Ex: 1. Petromyzon sp. (Sea-lamprey), Ichthyomyzon sp.

 Order: Myxiniformes
• It includes the hag-fishes or slime eels.

• Buccal funnel is absent.

• The nasal sac opens into pharynx through a canal.

• Eyes are vestigial.

• Dorsal fin is absent or very small.

• Branchial basket is poorly developed.

• Brain is primitive.

• Pineal eye is reduced.

• Ear has only one semicircular canal.

• Development is direct.

• The hag-fishes are all marine.

• Example: Myxine sp.; Bdellostoma sp.

 Summarized Primitive Cyclostome Characters
• 1. No biting jaws, hair, true teeth, actual fin rays, girdles, ribs, stomach, spleen,
and products.

• 2. The median dorsal fin is continuous.

• 3. Caudal fin protocercal or diphycercal.

• 4. Median single nostrils, instead of paired.

• 5. Incomplete or poorly formed cranium.

• 6. No vertebrae, or vertebrae with weak growth.

• 7. Pancreas which is rudimentary.

• 8. No spinal valve in the intestine, or even a poorly formed spiral valve.

• 9. Brain relatively small or generalized.

• 10. 9th and 10th cranial nerves which are not in the cranium. Lack of medulated nerves.

• 11. Rather weak and poorly developed Sympathetic Nervous System.

• 12. Heart a rather loosely twisted S-shaped tube,.

• 13. Poorly developed lateral organs and in isolated pits.

• 14. A very broad hypophysial duct, exposed to the outside and not attached to the pituitary
gland.