Kingdom Animalia:

Cnidaria

Key words
colonial polyps
epidermis
exoskeleton
gastrodermis
mesoglea

Colonial polyps
tentacle
mouth
feeding polyp:
external view

Invertebrates

hypostome

reproductive polyp:
external view

substrate
tentacle

Cnidaria are invertebrates that can be

divided into two major groups: the
colonial polyps that live their lives
attached to a substrate, and the freefloating medusa-like forms that drift
around in the oceans.

Body structure
Colonial polyps are enclosed in a
transparent, chitinous exoskeleton
called the perisarc. Inside is living
tissue, collectively called the
coenosarc.
Colonial polyps have a body made up
of branched tubular structures
specialized for feeding or
reproduction.
The feeding polyp, the hydranth, is
enclosed in a thin chitinous cup called
the hydrotheca. The mouth is located
at the opening of the gastric column
atop a low mount called the
hypostome. It is surrounded by a ring
of tentacles used to entangle and
inject poison into small prey. Food is
pushed into the gastrovascular cavity,
where it is partially digested and
distributed to all parts of the body.
The reproductive polyp consists of an
elongated cylinder called a gonotheca
enclosing a blastostyle, a column that
bears small medusa buds produced
asexually. These eventually develop
into medusae, which when mature
break free and swim out the aperture
of the gonotheca into the sea.
Obelia Medusa, shown bottom left,
begins life as a polyp. The polyps,
in turn produce medusae, or
jellyfish, which reproduce
sexually and, in turn,
produce polyps.

gonotheca
medusa bud

feeding polyp:
longitudinal
section

reproductive polyp:
longitudinal section

hydrotheca
(cup-shaped)
gastrovascular
cavity
perisarc
coenosarc

Medusa:
subumbrellar
view
gonad (ovary)

Obelia colony as seen

with naked eye

tentacle
radial canal
mouth

gastrovascular cavity

Diagram Visual Information Ltd.