Unit 4.

Invertebrates

Number of animal species world map

1. The main characteristics of animals

2. Porifera and Cnidaria
3. Worms IES FRAY LUIS DE LEÓN
4. Molluscs Dpto. Ciencias Naturales
5. Arthropods Prof. Ángel Viñas San Narciso
6. Echinoderms
 1. The main characteristics of animals
a) The vital functions of animals:
− Animals are the most complex living organisms
because they have very efficient organs and systems.
− Nutrition: with organs to get nutrients and energy
− Interaction: they can sense changes in the environment
and react in order to survive
• They have sense organs: eyes, antennae…
• They have a nervous system.
• They have locomotive structures to move: tentacles,
legs, wings…
– Reproduction:
• Asexual: by only one organism. Budding or
fragmentation.
• Sexual: by two different sexes that produce male and
female reproductive cells.
• Depending on where they develop their embryos,
animals could be: viviparous, oviparous or
oviviparous.
– Classification of animals:
• Vertebrates: with internal skeleton and vertebral column. Main
classes:
– Fish
– Amphibians
– Reptiles
– Birds
– Mammals
• Invertebrates: without internal skeleton. Main phyla:
– Porifera
– Cnidaria
– Worms: platyhelminthes, nematodes and annelids.
– Molluscs
– Arthropods
– Echinoderms
Nutrition
Interaction
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction: Hydra budding
Asexual reproduction: fragmentation
Sexual reproduction
Oviviparous
• Vertebrates: the snake’s skeleton
 2. Porifera and Cnidaria
a) Porifera: sponges
− Environment: marine. They live attached to rocks/sand
− Anatomy:
• Wall body perforated by lots of tiny pores
• Upper and bigger hole called osculum
• Internal cavity in communication with pores and osculum
• Skeleton structure made of spicules
– Nutrition: they are filtering animals. Water with food
particles go from pores to internal cavity where food is
filtered. Water exits through the osculum.
– Reproduction:
• Asexual: Budding or fragmentation.
• Sexual: oviparous
b) Cnidaria: Corals, jellyfish, anemones and hydra
− Environment: marine.
− Anatomy: they have two basic body forms
• Polyps:
– They have a bag shape
– They live fixed to the ground
– They have budding asexual reproduction
• Medusa: (pl. medusae)
– They have an umbrella shape
– They swim freely
– They have sexual reproduction
– Nutrition: they are carnivores.
• They have a mouth and a central cavity as
stomach/vascular system called the gastrovascular
cavity.
• They hunt with their tentacles which are made of
stinging cells called cnidocytes.
– Reproduction:
• Asexual: Budding. Just for polyps. The result is a
medusa.
• Sexual: oviparous. Just for medusae. The result is a
polyp.
Cnidarian forms
Cnidarian reproduction
 3. Worms
a) Worms: any of various invertebrates, having a
long, flexible, rounded or flattened body, often
without appendages.
b) Platyhelminthes: flatworms. Environments in
which they live:
– Non-parasites: Humid/wet in ponds or rivers (planaria)
– Parasites: Inside other animal bodies (taenia=tapeworm)
c) Nematodes: roundworms (with a cylindrical body).
Environments:
– Non-parasites: they live in water or in wet soil.
– Parasites: Inside other animal bodies (hookworms =
intestinal parasites).
d) Annelids: worms with rings / segments (called
metameres)
– Anatomy: long body divided into segments that include a
set of repeated organs.
– Their organs form specialized systems (circulatory,
nervous and reproductory systems)
– Examples: earthworms, lugworms, sandworms and
leeches
Planaria
Taenia
Taenia
Nematode
Nematodes anatomy
Earthworm anatomy
Annelid: earthworm
Annelid: lugworm
Polychaeta (Sandworm)
Annelid: leech
 4. Molluscs
a) Environment:
– Most are aquatic: squids, mussels, clams…
– Terrestrial: some snails and slugs.
b) Anatomy: Their organs form specialized systems.
– Its body is divided into three parts:
• The head: contains the sense organs.
• The visceral mass: with the internal organs. It is covered by the
mantle, that in some molluscs produces a shell for protection.
• The muscular foot: for locomotion or hunting.
– Respiratory system: Terrestrial molluscs breathe through
lungs, the aquatic ones breathe through gills.
– Reproduction: sexual and oviparous, hermaphrodites or
unisexual.
c) Groups of molluscs:
– Gastropods:
• Anatomy:
– Head: it has four tentacles with eyes, and a rasping tongue (radula)
– Visceral mass: it can be protected within an spiral shell.
– Muscular foot: for locomotion.
• Nutrition: they are herbivores.
• Examples: snails and slugs.
– Bivalves:
• Anatomy:
– Head: they do not have a differentiated head.
– Visceral mass: it is protected within two shells, jointed like a hinge.
– Muscular foot: with axe shape. It is used for excavation.
• Nutrition: they are filter-feeding animals.
• Examples: mussels, oysters, clams…
– Cephalopods:
• Anatomy:
– Head: with highly developed eyes and brain.
– Visceral mass: covered by the mantle that has fins for
swimming.
– Muscular foot: transformed into tentacles for hunting.
• Nutrition: they are carnivores and active hunters.
• Examples: cuttlefish, squids, nautilus and octopi.
The anatomy of molluscs
Respiration
Working radula
Anatomy of bivalves
Anatomy of cephalopods
Nautilus
 5. Arthropods
a) Environment: this is the most widespread phylum
– Aquatic: lobsters, prawns, crabs…
– Terrestrial: spiders, most insects, myriapods...
b) Anatomy: their organs form specialized systems.
– Its body is segmented into metameres (segments)
– Their metameres are assembled into groups called:
• Head
• Thorax
• Cephalothorax (= head + thorax)
• Abdomen
– They have jointed appendages that appear from
metameres:
• From the head: antennae, palps, mandibles…
• From the thorax: legs, wings…
– The body is covered by a rigid but articulated
exoskeleton made of cuticle.
– Respiratory system:
• Aquatic: they breathe through gills.
• Terrestrial: they breathe through tracheas (tunnels
that deliver oxygen through the body)
– Reproduction: sexual and oviparous. They are not
hermaphrodites. There is not asexual reproduction.
– Development: from the egg to the adult.
• They have to moult the cuticle in order to grow up.
• They need to undergo a process of metamorphosis:
o Direct metamorphosis: they hatch as apparently
miniature adults.
Egg → Nymph (miniature adult) → (moulting) → Adult

o Complete metamorphosis: they hatch in a very

different form than adults, called larvae that
undergo an inactive phase (pupa) to become an
adult. (Review - Repaso)
Egg → Larva → metamorphosing pupa → Adult
Anatomy of arthropods
Appendages of an insect
Exoskeleton
Gills
Thracheal system
Reproduction
Moulting insect
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
c) Classification of arthropods
– Chelicerates:
• Anatomy: they have cephalothorax + abdomen. They
have poisonous appendages (like fangs) near their
mouths called chelicerae to paralyze and digest their
prey. They have four pairs of legs.
• Classification: arachnids (spiders, scorpions, ticks and
mites) and others
– Mandibulates:
• Anatomy: they have appendages (like jaws) near their
mouths called mandibles for feeding (they can bite,
suck, chew, depending on their shape).
• Classification: the most important groups are
crustaceans, myriapods and insects.
• Crustaceans:
– Environment: marine.
– Anatomy:
» With cephalothorax + abdomen
» They have five pairs or more legs
» They breathe through gills
» Examples: crabs, shrimps, lobsters, barnacles…
• Myriapods:
– Environment: terrestrial.
– Anatomy:
» With head + body (= thorax + abdomen)
» With one or two pair of legs in each metamere
» Examples: centipedes and millipedes
• Insects:
– Environment: terrestrial.
– Anatomy:
» With head + thorax + abdomen
» They have three pairs of legs
» They have four wings to fly
» Examples: grasshoppers, flies, butterflies…
Key:
red = antennae; green =
walking legs; black =
mouthparts (mandibles and
chelicerae); purple = claws
or other manipulators
(pedipalps on spiders,
poison claws on centipedes,
grasping and pinching claws
on decapod
crustaceans); orange = gills.
Arthropods variety
Chelicerates
 Arachnids
Mite

Tick

Scorpion
Spider
Mandibulates: types of mandibles
Crustaceans
Anatomy of insects
 6. Echinoderms
a) Environment: marine
b) Anatomy: their organs form specialized systems.
– They have a hard skeleton made of spines
– They have an exclusive ambulacral system:
• It is composed of tubes filled with water.
• The tubes have external extensions called ambulacral
feet.
• Function: locomotion or hunting
c) Reproduction: sexual and oviparous. Starfishes can
also reproduce through asexual fragmentation.
d) Examples: starfish, sea urchin, brittle star, sea
cucumber
Echinoderm anatomy
Ambulacral system
 STARFISH
SEA URCHIN

SEA CUCUMBER

BRITTLE STAR