THE

ANIMAL
Kingdom
 PHYLUM PORIFERA

 Phylum Porifera are the lowest multicellular animals belonging to the kingdom Animalia. The word “Porifera” mainly
refers to the pore bearers or pore bearing species.  Based on the embryological studies, sponges are proved as
animals and are classified into a separate Phylum in animals. This phylum includes about 5000 species. Poriferans
are pore-bearing first multicellular animals. The pores are known as Ostia. The poriferans have a spongy
appearance and are therefore called sponges. They are attached to the substratum and do not move.  They have
the ability to absorb and withhold fluids. They were initially regarded as plants due to their green color and their
symbiotic relationship with algae. Later, their life cycle and feeding system were discovered, and they were included
in the animal kingdom.
 The cells of Poriferans are loosely organized.
 They are mostly found in marine water. Only a few are found in freshwater.
 They are either radially symmetrical or asymmetrical.
 Their body is usually cylindrical.
 The scleroblast secretes spicules while spongin fibres are secreted by spongioblasts.
 They have no organs in their body.
 They depict cellular grade of organization.
 The body comprises numerous pores known as Ostia and osculum.
 The central cavity is called spongocoel or atrium which opens to the outside through the osculum.
 They reproduce asexually by budding, and fragmentation.
 The nutrition is holozoic.
 They have neurosensory cells but are devoid of any specific nervous system.
 They have the power to regenerate the lost parts.
 The development is indirect and the cleavage is holoblastic.
 The exchange of respiratory gases and nitrogenous wastes occurs by the process of diffusion

EXAMPLES OF CLASSIFICATION

1. Calcarea (Eg., Clathrina)

 They are found in marine, shallow, and coastal water.
 Their skeleton is composed of calcareous spicules made
of calcium carbonate.
 The body is cylindrical and exhibits radial symmetry.
 The body organization is asconoid, syconoid, or
leuconoid

2. Hexactinellids (Eg., Euplectella)

 They are found in marine and the deep sea.
 The skeleton is made up of six-rayed siliceous spicules.
 The body is cylindrical in shape and exhibit radial symmetry.
 The canal system is Sycon or Leucon.

3. Desmospongiae (Eg: Spongia)

 They are found in marine or freshwater.
 The body is asymmetrical and cylindrical in shape.
 The canal system is a leuconoid type.
 The skeleton comprises spongin fibres, siliceous spicules, which are
monoaxon and triaxon.
 PHYLUM CNIDARIA

 Cnidaria is derived from a Greek word “cnidos” meaning stinging thread. These entities are characterized by the
presence of cnidae. Cnidaria is a phylum under Animalia Kingdom, a classification comprising 10,000 described
species, some of them are corals, sea anemones, jellyfishes and hydras. These aquatic entities are seen in both
marine and freshwater habitats. It is yet another ancient group comprising many fossil representatives. These are
the simplest living entities, having true tissues. These were said to be the first animals in evolutionary history to
have a definite shape. Members of this group are incredibly diverse in their form, as specified by massive medusae
and corals, colonial siphonophores, feathery hydroids and box jellyfish with complicated eyes. Even so, such
animals possess stinging cells referred to as nematocytes. Formerly, Cnidarians were classified with ctenophores in
the phylum Coelenterata. However, with an increasing awareness of its differences, they were placed in a separate
phyla.
 Mostly marine entities while few such as hydra are found in freshwater
 While some are solitary (sea anemone) some others are colonial (Corals)
 Depict a tissue grade of organization and are diploblastic
 Members exhibit radial symmetry, however sea anemones exhibit biradial symmetry
 Body wall comprises an outer epithelium referred to as epidermis and inner epithelium referred to as gastrodermis.
There is a gelatinous mesoglea found between the inner and outer epidermis
 There are two different forms of cnidarians – Polyp and medusa. Polyp is hydroid form, sessile with mouth-up
orientation. The medusa is bell or umbrella shaped with mouth down alignment
 Mesoglea comprises amoeboid cells which come from the ectoderm. The mesoglea in polyps is thin and thick in
medusa, essential for buoyancy
 Body wall comprises stinging cells referred to as cnidocytes. Each of the cnidocyte cells comprises fluid filled
membranous capsules – cnida. Cnidocytes are functional in defending and capturing prey
 They possess a blind sac-like central cavity referred to as gastrovascular cavity or coelenterons which opens out by
the mouth surrounded by tentacles. Mouth is functional in ingestion and egestion. Coelenterons helps in digestion
and circulation
 Through the process of diffusion across the body wall, there is exchange of respiratory gases and elimination of
excretory wastes takes place.
 Neurons are connected, forming a pair of nerve nets – one in the gastrodermis and the other in the epidermis.
Nerve impulses travel in any direction. Along with nerve nets, the medusae have ganglia and nerve rings
surrounding the margin of the bell
 In the medusoid form, sensory structures (statocysts) occur
 Asexual reproduction is by fission, budding and fragmentation
 Generally unisexual however some are bisexual. External fertilization occurs, and cleavage is holoblastic. Indirect
development and includes a free swimming ciliated larval stage referred to as planula
 The alternation of asexually reproducing polyp form in species having polyp and medusa phases and in sexually
reproducing medusa form is referred to as metagenesis
 They exhibit regeneration.

Examples:
1. Anthozoa(E.g. Sea Pens)- almost completely sessile
2. Scyphozoa (E.g True jellyfish)- swimming
3. Cubozoa (E.g. Box jellies)- possess complex eyes and potent toxins

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 PHYLUM MOLLUSCA

 The animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca have soft-bodies, triploblastic and bilaterally symmetrical and
coelomate. The study of Mollusca is called Malacology. They are sluggish invertebrates, with a thin fleshy envelope
or mantle covering the visceral organs.
 The term Mollusca was derived from the term given by Aristotle to cuttlefish. Mollusc means soft. These organisms
are found in the terrestrial as well as in deep seas. Their size ranges from microscopic organisms to organisms 20
metres long. They play a very important role in the lives of humans. They are a source of jewellery as well as food.
Natural pearls are formed within these molluscs.
 The bivalve molluscs are used as bioindicators in the marine and freshwater environments. But few of them such as
snails and slugs are pests.
 They are mostly found in marine and freshwater. Very few are terrestrial and found in moist soil.
 They exhibit organ system level of organization.
 Their body has a cavity.
 The body is divided into head, visceral mass, muscular foot and mantle.
 The head comprises of tentacles and compound eyes.
 The body is covered by a calcareous shell.
 The muscular foot helps in locomotion.
 They have a well-developed digestive system, the radula is the rasping organ for feeding.
 They respire through the general body surface, gills or pulmonary sac.
 The blood circulates through the open circulatory system.
 They have a pair of metanephridia that helps in excretion.
 The nervous system consists of number of paired ganglia and nerves.
 The tentacles, eyes, osphradium, and statocysts act as the sensory organs.
 The sexes are separate in most of the molluscs but some species are hermaphrodites. Fertilization may be external
or internal.
 They are generally oviparous with indirect development.
 Classification of Mollusca
 Following are the classification of Mollusca:
 Aplacophora or Solenogasters
 The body is cylindrical or bilaterally symmetrical.
 These are devoid of the head, shell, mantel, nephridia, and foot
 The digestive ceca is absent.
 Spicule-bearing cuticle covers the body.
 It contains a dorsal longitudinal keel or crest.

Class Examples:
1. Monoplacophora (E.g. Neopilina)
 The body is bilaterally symmetrical.
 The head is devoid of eyes and tentacles.
 Respiration occurs through gills which are externally located.
 The nitrogenous waste is excreted out through nephridia.

2. Gastropoda (E.g. Haliotis)

 They are found either on land or in fresh and marine water.
 The head bears tentacles, eyes, and a mouth.
 The shell is spiral in shape.
 The foot is flat and large.

3. Cephalopoda (E.g. Octopus)

 They are mostly found in the marine environment.
 The shell is either external, internal, or not present at all.
 They have separate sexes.
 The development is direct.
 PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
 Phylum Platyhelminthes belongs to kingdom Animalia. This phylum includes 13,000 species. The organisms are
also known as flatworms. These are acoelomates and they include many free-living and parasitic life forms.
 Members of this phylum range in size from a single-celled organism to around 2-3 feet long.
 They are triploblastic, acoelomate, and bilaterally symmetrical.
 They may be free-living or parasites.
 The body has a soft covering with or without cilia.
 Their body is dorsoventrally flattened without any segments and appears like a leaf.
 They are devoid of the anus and circulatory system but have a mouth.
 They respire by simple diffusion through the body surface.
 They have an organ level of organization.
 They do not have a digestive tract.
 The space between the body wall and organs is filled with connective tissue parenchyma which helps in
transporting the food material.
 They are hermaphrodites, i.e., both male and female organs are present in the same body.
 They reproduce sexually by fusion of gametes and asexually by regeneration by fission and regeneration.
Fertilization is internal.
 The life cycle is complicated with one or more larval stages.
 They possess the quality of regeneration.
 The flame cells help in excretion and osmoregulation.
 The nervous system comprises the brain and two longitudinal nerve cords arranged in a ladder-like fashion.

Example:
1. Turbellaria (eg., Planaria)
 These are free-living organisms found mostly in fresh water.
 The body is dorsoventrally flattened. 1
 Hooks and suckers are not present.

2. Trematoda (Eg., Fasciola hepatica)

 These are mostly parasitic.
 Hooks and suckers are usually present

3. Cestoda (E.g Convoluta)

 These are exclusively parasitic.
 They have hooks and suckers.

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 PHYLUM NEMATODA
 The Nematodes present in the soil feed on the bacteria, fungi, and other nematodes, and play an important role in
nutrient recycling. They also attack the insects and control the pests. However, they cause severe damage to
plants. They feed on the plant roots and reduce the nutrient uptake and stress tolerance of the plant.
 A spadeful of soil contains numerous Nematodes. They cause diseases such as Ascariasis, Trichuriasis,
Hookworm, Enterobiasis, Filariasis, and Angiostrongyliasis in humans.
 Characteristics of Nematoda
 Following are the important characteristics of Nematoda:
 Their body is bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic.
 They are cylindrical in shape.
 They exhibit tissue level organization.
 Their body has a cavity or pseudocoelom.
 The alimentary canal is distinct, with the mouth and the anus.
 They are sexually dimorphic.
 They are devoid of the circulatory system and respiratory system.
 They are free-living or parasitic.
 Parasitic nematodes cause diseases in the host.
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 Fertilization is internal and reproduction is sexual.
 Their cuticle moults periodically.
 The epidermis is synctical and contains dorsal or ventral nerve cords.
 The body-wall muscles are longitudinal.
 They possess amoeboid sperm cells.
 They consist of chemosensory organs called aphids situated on the lips.

Examples of Classification of Nematodes:

1. Rhabditida (Eg., Rhabditis)

 They have smooth and ringed cuticle.
 There is a posterior lobe at the pharynx.
 They are free-living and parasitic.
 Males have copulatory spicules.

2. Strongylida (eg., Strongylus)

 They are vertebrate parasites devoid of lips.
 The pharynx has no bulb.
 They have a well-developed buccal capsule.
 They possess a true copulatory bursa.

3. Oxyurida (For eg., Oxyuris) 3

 They can be small or moderate in size.
 Males have copulatory spicules.
 Caudal alae are present.
 They can be invertebrates or vertebrates.
 The mouth consists of 3-4 simple lips.
 PHYLUM ANNELIDA

 Phylum Annelida is a very broad phylum belonging to the kingdom Animalia. The Annelids are found in aquatic as
well as terrestrial environments. These are bilaterally symmetrical invertebrate organisms. Their segmented body
distinguishes them from any other organism.
 The Annelids are coelomate and triploblastic.
 They exhibit organ system level organization.
 Their body is segmented.
 They respire through their body surface.
 Nephridia are the excretory organs.
 They have a well-developed circulatory and digestive system.
 Their body contains haemoglobin, which gives them a red colour.
 Regeneration is a very common characteristic of the Annelids
 Setae help them in movement.
 Most of the Annelids are hermaphrodite, i.e., male and female organs are present in the same body. They
reproduce both sexually and asexually. The others reproduce sexually.

Examples of Classification:

1. Polychaeta (Eg., Nereis)

 The body is elongated and divided into segments.
 They are found in the marine environment.
 These are true coelomates, bilaterally symmetrical worms.
 They excrete through metanephridia and protonephridia.
 Fertilization is external
 They have a well-developed nervous system.
 The circulatory system is closed type.
 They are hermaphrodites.

2. Oligochaeta (Eg., Pheretima)

 They are mostly freshwater and terrestrial organisms.
 The body is segmented metamerically.
 Head, eyes and tentacles are not distinct.
 They are hermaphrodites, but cross-fertilization takes place.
 Fertilization is external.
 Cocoon formation occurs.
 Setae are segmented
 They do not possess parapodia but clitellum is present.
 They exhibit no free larval stage and the development takes place inside the cocoons.

3. Hirudinea (Eg., Hirudinaria)

 Most commonly found in freshwater. Some are marine, terrestrial,
and parasitic.
 The body is segmented.
 The tentacles, parapodia, and setae are not present.
 The animals are monoecious.
 The body is dorsoventrally or cylindrically flattened.
 They have an anterior and posterior sucker on the ventral side.
 The organisms lay eggs in cocoons.
 There is no larval stage during the development of the organism.
 The mouth is located ventrally in the anterior sucker, while the
anus is present dorsally in the posterior sucker.
 Fertilization is internal.
 They are hermaphrodites.
 PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA

 The organisms belonging to the phylum Echinodermata are exclusively marine. Till date, there have been no traces
of any terrestrial or freshwater Echinoderms. These are multicellular organisms with well-developed organ systems.
All the animals belonging to this phylum share the same characteristics features. They are colourful organisms with
unique shapes. They are ecologically and geologically very important. The Echinoderms are found in sea-depths as
well as in the intertidal zones. An interesting feature of the phylum Echinodermata is that all the organisms
belonging to this phylum are marine. None of the organisms is freshwater or marine.
 The water vascular system present in echinoderms accounts for gaseous exchange, circulation of nutrients and
waste elimination.
 Characteristics of Echinodermata
 They have a star-like appearance and are spherical or elongated.
 They are exclusively marine animals.
 The organisms are spiny-skinned.
 They exhibit organ system level of organization. Most members have a circulatory system as well as a digestive
system.
 They are triploblastic and have a coelomic cavity.
 The skeleton is made up of calcium carbonate.
 They have an open circulatory system.
 They respire through gills or cloacal respiratory tree.
 They have a simple radial nervous system and the excretory system are absent.
 The body is unsegmented with no distinct head. The mouth is present on the ventral side while the anus is on the
dorsal side.
 The tube feet aids in locomotion.
 They reproduce sexually through gametic fusion and asexually through regeneration. Fertilization is external.
 The development is indirect
 They possess the power of regeneration.
 They have poorly developed sense organs.

Example of Classification

1. Asteroidea (Eg., Asterias)

 They have a flattened, star-shaped body with five arms.
 They have tube feet with suckers.
 They respire through papulae.
 The body comprises of calcareous plates and movable
spines.
 Pedicellaria is present.

2. Ophiuroidea (Eg., Ophiderma)

 The body is flat with pentamerous discs.
 The tube feet are devoid of suckers.
 They respire through Bursae.
 The long arms are demarcated from the central disc.

3. Echinoidea (Eg., Echinus)

 The body is hemispherical.
 The tube feet contains suckers.
 The body does not have arms.
 The body has a compact skeleton and movable spines for locomotion.