Chapter 24,

Section 3 (Part
2): Cnidarians
Biology
 Section Objectives
• Distinguish structure and function in sponges and cnidarians

• Describe the diversity of sponges and cnidarians

• Evaluate the ecology and importance of sponges and

cnidarians
 Cnidarians
• Belong to the phylum Cnidaria
o Consists of about 10,000 species, most of which are marine

• Include jellyfish and sea anemone

 Body Structure
• Have one body opening and two layers of cells
o Outer layer functions in protecting the internal body
o Inner layer functions mainly in digestion

• Have tissues

• Radial symmetry

• 2-way gut
 Feeding and Digestion
• Key characteristic of cnidarians
o Tentacles w/ stinging cells called cnidocytes
• Contain nematocysts
o A capsule that holds a coiled, threadlike tube containing poison and barbs

• Inside an undischarged nematocyst, water is held at a pressure

of more than 150 atmospheres
Feeding and Digestion
(cont.)
• In response to being touched
or to a chemical stimulus, the
permeability of the nematocyst
membrane increases, allowing
more water to rush in
o Increases the pressure and discharges the
nematocyst

• A barb is capable of
penetrating a crab shell
• https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6
zJiBc_N1Zk
Feeding and Digestion
(cont.)
• Cells lining the
gastrovascular cavity
release digestive enzymes
over captured prey

• Undigested materials are

ejected though the mouth
Jellyfish Sting
 Response to Stimuli
• Very primitive nervous system
o Consists of a nerve net made up of specialized cells that conduct impulses to and from all
parts of the body
o The impulses cause contractions of musclelike cells in the two cell layers
 Reproduction
• Most cnidarians have two body forms
o Polyp w/ a tube-shaped body and mouth surrounded by tentacles
o Medusa w/ an umbrella-shaped body and tentacles that hang down

• Both body forms can be observed in the life cycle of

jellyfishes
Jellyfish Life Cycle
 Cnidarian Diversity
• There are four main classes of cnidarians
o Hydrozoa, the hydroids
o Two classes of jellyfish
• Scyphozoa
• Cubozoa, the box jellyfish
o Anthozoa, sea anemones and corals
Hydrozoa
• Approximately 2700 known
species

• Have both polyp and

medusa stages

• Most form colonies

o i.e. Portuguese man-of-water
Scyphozoa and Cubozoa
• 200 known species

• The medusa is the dominant

body form

• Cubozoa contains the box

jellyfish
Anthozoa
• 6200 known species of sea
anemones and corals

• Dominant stage is the polyp

• Anemones are individual

animals, while coral live in
colonies

• Coral secrete calcium

carbonate shelters which the
living portion starts to grow on
o Eventually forms coral reefs
The Great Barrier Reef
 Cnidarian Ecology
• Mutualism occurs frequently w/ cnidarians
o One species of sea anemones wraps itself around a hermit crab’s shell
• The anemone obtains food scraps and the crabs are protected

• Some stony coral species are used in surgical procedures

o Hydroxyapatite can be treated so that it has the same structure and chemical composition
as human bone
 Evolution of Cnidarians
• The fact that cnidarians have two body forms, raises the
question of whether the ancestral cnidarian has a medusa or a
polyp body form
 Assignment
• Pg. 719-721 (1-6, 11-20, 25-32)

• Finish Study Guides