03.

Animal Kingdom
Summary Sheet
• Aristotle – animals with red blood (Enaima), animals without red blood (Anaima)
• Kingdom created by Carolus Linnaeus
• Has only multicellular organisms.
• All eukaryotes, heterotrophs.
• 11 phyla.
• Level of organisation: Cellular level (Porifera), tissue level (Cnidaria, Ctenophora), organ level
(Platyhelminthes), organ system level (Aschelminthes to Chordata).
• Body symmetry: Asymmetry (most sponges), radial symmetry (Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Echinodermata,
some sponges) and bilateral symmetry (all others).
• Embryonic organisation: Diploblastic animals (Cnidaria, Ctenophora), triploblastic (Platyhelminthes to
Chordata)
• Body cavity: Coelomates (Annelida to Chordates), pseudocoelomates (Aschelminthes), and acoelomates
(Platyhelminthes). Porifera to Ctenophora are by default acoelomates as they have no mesoderm.
• Segmentation/metamerism: Annelida, Arthropoda and Chordata.
• Notochord: Made from mesoderm. Notochord present – Chordata. No notochord - Porifera to
Echinodermata. Hemichordates are false/partial chordates as they have stomochord which is similar to
but is not notochord.
• Habitat – Only aquatic – Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora (exclusively marine), Echinodermata
(exclusively marine), Hemichordata (exclusively marine), free-living Platyhelminthes, few
Aschelminthes, few Annelids, few Arthropods, most Molluscs, all protochordates (exclusively marine),
many chordates.
• Digestion – Intracellular digestion: Porifera. Both intra and extracellular – Cnidaria and Ctenophora.
Extracellular – Platyhelminthes to Chordata.
• Circulation: Open – Arthropoda, Mollusca, Hemichordata. Closed – Annelida, Chordata.
• Gender – Hermaphrodites – Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Plathelminthes, Annelida (many).
Monoecious or sexes separate – Aschelminthes, Annelida (few), Arthropoda (most), Mollusca to
Chordata.
• Fertilization - External – Ctenophora, Annelida, Mollusca, Echinodermata (usually external),
Hemichordata. Internal – Porifera, Platyhelminthes, Aschelminthes, Arthropoda (usually internal). Both
types – Cnidaria, Chordata (external in cyclostomes, Osteichthyes (usually external), Amphibia, others –
internal).
• Development - Indirect development or metamorphosis – Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora,
Plathelminthes, Aschelminthes (many), Arthropoda (many), Mollusca (many), Echinodermata,
Hemichordata, Chordata (only in Amphibia).
• Gut – Absent – Porifera. Incomplete – Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes.
• Reproduction – Only sexual reproduction – Ctenophora, Aschelminthes to Chordata.

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Phylum Porifera [Sycon, Spongilla (fresh-water sponge), Euspongia (bath sponge)]

• Pore-bearing animals.
• Called sponges.
• Primitive multicellular.
• Cells are loosely arranged
• Water canal system. Water enters through minute pores (ostia) into a central cavity, spongocoel, from
where it goes out through the osculum. Helps in gathering food, waste removal and respiratory
exchange. Choanocytes or collar cells line water canals and spongocoel.
• Skeleton - spicules or spongin fibres.
• Asexual reproduction by fragmentation or by gemmules.

Phylum Coelenterata/Cnidaria [Physalia (portugese man-of-war), Adamsia (sea anemone), Pennatula

(sea-pen), Gorgonia (sea fan), Meandrina (brain coral), Hydra, Aurelia (jelly fish), Obelia]
• Sessile or free swimming
• Polyp and medusa
• Body and tentacles have cnidoblasts/cnidocytes with stinging capsules called nematocysts. Used for
adhesion, food capture, offence and defense.
• Central gastrovascular cavity or coelenteron with a single opening, mouth present on hypostome.
• Corals – skeleton of calcium carbonate.
• Metagenesis, i.e., polyps produce medusae asexually and medusae form the polyps sexually (Obelia).

Phylum Ctenophora [Examples; Pleurobrachia and Ctenoplana]

• Sea walnuts or comb jellies.
• Eight external rows of ciliated comb plates which help in locomotion
• Bioluminescence is well marked.

Phylum Platyhelminthes [Examples; Taenia (tapeworm), Fasciola (liver fluke - trematode), Planaria]
• Flatworms
• Dorso-ventrally flattened body
• Most – endoparasites. Few endoparasites do not have digestive tract. Hooks and suckers.
• Protonephridia (flame cells) – excretion and osmoregulation.
• Many larval stages
• True regeneration - Planaria

Phylum Aschelminthes [Ascaris (round worm), Wuchereria (Filarial worm), Ancylostoma (hookworm),
Meloidegyne incognitia (plant parasite), Coenorhabditis elegans (free-living)]
• Body is circular in transverse section.
• Muscular pharynx.
• Excretory tube with excretory pore.
• Males are distinct from females – sexual dimorphism. Males – shorter with curved posterior end.

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Phylum Annelida [Nereis, Pheretima (earthworm), Hirudinaria (sanguivore/blood-sucking leech)]

• Worm-like animals with annuli (metameres).
• Body wall – circular and longitudinal muscles – for locomotion. Earthworm has setae that aids in
locomotion. Nereis (aquatic annelid) has lateral appendages (parapodia) for swimming).
• Nephridia – excretion and osmoregulation.
• Nervous system paired ganglia, lateral nerves and a solid, double, ventral nerve cord with ganglia.
Sensory organs present.
• Both unisexual/dioecious (Nereis) and bisexual/monoecious (earthworms and leeches).

Phylum Arthropoda [ Apis indica (honey bee), Laccifer (lac insect), Anopheles, Culex, Aedes – mosquitoes,
Drosophila (fruitfly), Periplaneta americana (cockroach), Locusta (locust – gregarious pest), Limulus (King
Crab – living fossil), Bombyx (silkmoth)]
• Largest phylum
• Jointed appendages.
• Chitinous exoskeleton
• Body divisible into head, thorax and abdomen.
• Respiration by gills, book-gills, tracheae or book-lungs.
• Excretory organs are green glands or Malpighian tubules.
• Nervous system with a dorsal brain connected with a nerve ring to a double ventral nerve cord. Sensory
organs - eyes (simple or compound), statocysts (balancing organs).

Phylum Mollusca [Pila (apple snail), Sepia (cuttle fish), Loligo (squid), Octopus (devil fish), Dentalium
(tusk shell), Aplysia (sea hare), Chaetopleura (Chiton)]
• Second largest phylum.
• Soft body covered by calcareous shell. Body – head, muscular foot, visceral hump.
• Head has sensory tentacles. Mouth contains a rasping organ for feeding - radula.
• Visceral hump covered by mantle (soft, spongy layer of skin). Gap between the hump and mantle –
mantle caivity. It has feather-like gills. Gills - respiration and excretion.
• Usually oviparous.

Phylum Echinodermata [Asterias Pisaster - starfishes, Echinus (sea urchin), Cucumaria (sea cucumber),
Antedon (sea lily), Ophiura( brittle star)]
• Spiny skinned.
• Endoskeleton of calcareous ossicles.
• Anus on upper side and mouth on lower side.
• Ambulacral system or water vascular system with tube feet – locomotion, capture & transport of food
and respiration.
• No excretory system.
• Regeneration power is good.
• Free-swimming larva is bilaterally symmetrical.

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Phylum Hemichordata [Examples Balanoglossus and Saccoglossus]

• Earlier – part of Chordata.
• Worm-like animals like acorn worms or tongue worms.
• Body – cylindrical; has anterior proboscis, a collar and a long trunk.
• Collar has rudimentary structure – stomochord which is similar to notochord.
• Respiration – gills.
• Excretion – proboscis gland.

Phylum Chordata
• Notochord, a dorsal hollow nerve cord, paired pharyngeal gill slits, ventral heart, post-anal tail.
• 3 subphyla: (i) Urochordata [Doliolum, Salpa, Ascidia] – Notochord only in larval tail (ii)
Cephalochordata [Branchiostoma – Amphioxus/Lancelet] – Notochord from head to tail throughout life.
(iii) Vertebrata - Notochord during the embryonic period - replaced later by a cartilaginous or bony
vertebral column in the adult. Have muscular ventral heart, kidneys, paired appendages – fins or limbs.
Divided into Divisions – Agnatha (mouth without jaws), Gnathostomata (mouth bound by jaws).

Agnatha – Only one surviving class i.e. Class Cyclostomata [Petromyzon (lamprey), Myxine (hagfish)]
• Sucking, circular-mouthed, jawless fish.
• Cranium, backbone - cartilaginous.
• Skin without scales.
• Unpaired fins.
• Notochord persistent.
• Elongated body – 6 to 15 pairs of gills for respiration.
• Heart - 2-chambered having one auricle and one ventricle.
• Ectoparasites on some fishes.
• Migrate to rivers to spawn. Die after a few days post-spawning. Larvae after metamorphosis, return to
oceans.

Gnathostomata – divided into Super Class Pisces – Fishes with fins and Super Class Tetrapoda with four
limbs.
Super Class Pisces divided into Class Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes.

Class Chondrichthyes: [Scoliodon (dog fish), Pristis (saw fish), Trygon (sting ray), Torpedo (electric ray),
Carcharodon (great white shark)]
• Marine, cartilaginous fishes which are active predators.
• Tough skin covered by minute, placoid scales.
• Streamlined body with ventral mouth bound by powerful jaws. Mouth has backwardly pointed teeth
derived from placoid scales.
• Persistent notochord. Cartilaginous endoskeleton.
• No operculum for gill slits. No airbladder – swim continuously.
• 2-chambered heart. Poikilothermous.
• Pelvic fins bear claspers in male. Many are viviparous.

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Class Osteichthyes: [Exocoetus (flying fish), Hippocampus (sea horse), Labeo (Rohu, fresh water),
Gambusia (mosquito larva eater, fresh water), Catla (Katla), Clarius (Magur), aquarium fishes – Betta
(fighting fish), Pterophyllum (Angel fish)]
• Marine or fresh water, bony fishes
• Skin covered by cycloid/ctenoid scales.
• Streamlined body with terminal mouth.
• Bony endoskeleton.
• 4 pairs of gills covered by operculum. Have airbladder to regulate buoyancy.
• 2-chambered heart. Poikilothermous.
• Mostly oviparous.

Class Amphibia [Bufo(toad), Rana (frog), Salamandra (salamander), Hyla (tree frog), Ichthyophis (limbless
amphibian)].
• Dual-lived organisms.
• Body – head, trunk. Some have tail. 2 pairs of limbs in most. Moist skin without scales.
• Eyes with eyelids. Tympanum – represents ear.
• Alimentary, urinary and reproductive tracts open into common chamber called cloaca.
• Respiration by lungs, skin, and gills.
• Heart 3-chambered (2 auricles + 1 ventricle). Poikilothermous.
• Oviparous.

Class Reptilia [Examples: Chelone (turtle), Testudo (tortoise), Chameleon (tree lizard), Calotes (garden
lizard), Crocodilus (crocodile), Alligator (alligator), Hemidactylus (wall lizard), poisonous snakes – Naja
(cobra), Vipera (viper), Bangarus (krait)]
• Crawling/creeping mode of locomotion.
• Mostly terrestrial.
• Skin is dry, cornified, without glands, bearing epidermal scales or scutes.
• Respiration by lungs.
• No external ear opening. Tympanum represents ear.
• Snakes lack limbs. Others have two pairs.
• Heart usually 3-chambered,4-chambered in crocodiles. Poikilothermous.
• Snakes and lizards – shed scales as skin cast.
• Oviparous – lay shelled eggs.

Class Aves [Corvus (crow), Columba (pigeon), Psittacula (parrot), Struthio (ostrich – flightless bird), Pavo
(peacock), Aptenodytes (penguin), Neophron (vulture)]
• Skin is dry except oil gland at base of tail.
• Forelimbs modified into wings. Hindlimbs have scales.
• Upper and lower jaws modified into beak, which lacks teeth.
• Digestive tract has additional chambers – crop and gizzard.
• Respiration by lungs. Lungs have air sacs.
• The endoskeleton is fully ossified. Long bones are pneumatic, i.e., contain air cavities to reduce weight.

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• Heart is 4-chambered. Homoeothermous.

• Oviparous – lay shelled eggs.

Class Mammalia [Ornithorhynchus (duck-billed platypus), Macropus (kangaroo), Pteropus (flying fox/bat),
Macaca (monkey), Camelus (camel), Panthera leo (lion), Panthera tigris (tiger), Panthera pardus (leopard),
Rattus (rat), Canis (dog), Felis (cat), Elephas (elephant), Equus (horse), Delphinus (dolphin), Balaenoptera
(blue whale), Homo sapiens (human)]
• Variety of habitats.
• Skin is hairy.
• Mammary glands.
• Two pairs of limbs in most.
• External ears or pinnae.
• Jaws have heterodont teeth.
• Respiration by lungs. Heart is 4-chambered. Homoeothermous.
• Most are viviparous.
• Egg-laying, marsupial and placental mammals seen.

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