Phylum Platyhelminthes belongs to the 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.

Platyhelminthes are triploblastic, bilaterally symmetrical, dorsoventra, acoelomate

flatworms with organ grade of construction without a definite anus, circulatory,
skeletal or respiratory system but with Protonephridial excretory system and
mesenchyme filling the space between the various organs of the body.

Characteristics of Platyhelminthes
Platyhelminthes have the following important characteristics:

 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 system 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.
Unique Characteristics of Platyhelminthes
Some of the characteristics that distinguish the organisms belonging to phylum
Platyhelminthes from others are:
 Presence of flame cells.

 Ladder-like nervous system.

 Presence of parenchyma in the body cavity.
 Self-fertilization

Annelida Meaning
Annelida meaning, it is a phylum that is derived from the Latin word annellus, which
means a small ring. They show a protostome development in embryonic stages and
thus annelids are also referred to as "segmented worms''. They are widely found in
marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Annelids include earthworms, leeches,
Polychaete worms.
Approximately 15000 species are categorized under this phylum of which mostly are
polychaetes. Annelids have well-developed neuronal and digestive systems and their
reproductive strategies include sexual dimorphism.

Classification of Annelida
Below mentioned is the classification of annelida:-
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Superphylum: Lophotrochozoa

General Characteristics of Annelida

Annelida species range in length from less than 1 millimeter to over 3 meters. All
annelids are bilaterally symmetrical, with an elongated cylindrical body shape divided
both externally and internally by regular, linear series of segments.
The distinctive characters of Annelida include:
1. Metamerism
Annelids have three body regions. The majority of the body consists of repeating units
called segments. Each segment is limited by septa, dividing it from the neighboring
segments, and has a fluid-filled cavity within it that is referred to as a coelom.
Segments are formed sequentially in annelids and established during development
from growth zones located at the posterior end of the body, so the youngest segment
in the body of the annelid is always the most posterior. In the annelid body, the only
parts that are not segmental are the head and the terminal region that is post-segmental
called the pygidium. The head consists of two units, the prostomium, and
peristomium. The post-segmental pygidium includes the zone from which new
segments proliferate during growth. Annelids have the amazing capacity to regrow
segments that are broken down into pieces, this is called regeneration.
2. Chaetae
A distinctive feature of annelids is a structure called chaetae also called setae are
bundles of chitinous, thin-walled cylinders held together by sclerotized protein.
Chaetae are defined as cuticular structures that are produced by a microvillar border of
certain invaginated epidermal cells and develop within epidermal follicles. Chaetae
show a huge amount of variation from long thin filaments to stout multi-pronged
hooks.
3. Clitellum
The clitellum is a structure that is present on the anterior portion of the worm that
helps to generate the mucus to aid in sperm transfer from one worm to another, it also
forms a cocoon within which fertilization occurs.

Anatomy
Anatomical features of annelida species include
 A closed circulatory system is present where the dorsal and ventral blood
vessels run parallel to the alimentary canal as well as capillaries that flow to
individual tissues.
 An excretory system consisting of tubular metanephridia.
 A complete digestive system.
 Annelida segmentation is metameric.
 A well-developed nervous system that includes a nerve ring of fused ganglia is
present around the pharynx. The nerve cord is present in a ventral position, that
consists of enlarged nodes or ganglia in each of the segments.
 Sensory organs for detecting light and other stimuli.
 Gills for gas exchange but many exchange gases through their skin.
Reproduction
Most species of annelids can produce both sexually and asexually. However, leeches
can reproduce only sexually. Asexual reproduction occurs through budding or fission
sexual reproduction varies by species.
In some annelida species, the same individual produces both sperm and egg. This is
termed hermaphroditism. Worms exchange their sperm by mating rather than self-
fertilizing their own eggs. Fertilized eggs are deposited in a mucous cocoon. Offspring
emerges from the cocoon looking like small adults. The larval cannot be found instead
they directly grow to adult size.
While in some species like Polychaete there are separate sexes. Major transformation
occurs in adult worms to develop the reproductive organs. The fertilization takes place
in water by the release of gametes into the water. Offsprings go through a larval stage
before developing through adults.

Arthropoda defines the largest phylum among the animal kingdom, and it comes
under the phylum Arthropoda. These animals have jointed appendages, a segmented
body, and an exoskeleton structure covered with chitin. Due to the exoskeleton
structure, these animals are flexible, mobile, and also well protected.

Phylum Arthropoda can dwell in both water and land. Moreover, some of them are
parasitic. These animals are used as the food source for various living beings.

Arthropods Examples:
Some familiar forms of arthropods are lobster, spider, centipedes, crab, millipedes,
mites, cockroach, butterfly, mosquito, ants etc.

General Characteristics of Arthropods

The Arthropods Characteristics are Listed Below-
 The body of arthropods is bilaterally symmetrical.
 These animals are triploblastic, and the body is segmented into the head,
thorax, and abdomen.
 They have jointed appendages that help in movements.
 The body cavity is filled with white coloured blood that is known as
haemocoel.
 The exoskeleton structure is hard and made of complex sugar, namely chitin.
 Arthropoda species can be both terrestrial and aquatic.
 These animals have compound eyes on their head, capable of mosaic vision.
 Their nervous system is well-developed.
 Their heads bear the brain and all the sensory organs such as antennae, hair,
statocysts, and auditory organs.
 One of the most important features of arthropods is their open circulatory
system with arteries and dorsal heart.
 In an Arthropod diagram, the digestive tract is found with the mouth at one end
and the anus at the opposite part of the body.
 The aquatic arthropods excrete waste through coaxial glands, and the
terrestrials use malpighian tubules to excrete.
 Phylum Arthropoda shows sexual dimorphism that is either internal or external.
 These animals are unisexual.
  With the help of the trachea or book lungs, the terrestrial forms perform
respiration. Their aquatic type uses gills or the body surface to respire.

Classification of Arthropoda
There are 4 classes of arthropods that can be mostly found - Crustacea, Chelicerata,
Myriapoda, and Hexapoda. However, two other classes of arthropods can also be
derived – Trilobitomorpha, the extinct category and Onychophora.

Here are the classes of arthropods and characteristics of these classes mentioned
separately.

Molluscs (also known as molluscs) are the second-largest phylum of invertebrate

animals after Arthropoda. They are smooth-bodied, bilaterally symmetrical, stratified,
coelomate animals; usually shelled with a mantle, ventral foot, anterior head, and
visceral dorsal mass.

Molluscs are very diverse animals and make up a significant part of the world's
ecosystem. They are the largest marine phylum, making up about 23% of all marine
organisms. They are a highly diverse species, not only in size and anatomical structure
but also in behavior and habitat, ranging from seawater to terrestrial habitats. Phylum
Mollusca belongs to some animals you are familiar with, such as snails, octopuses,
squids, oysters, clams, etc.

The phylum is usually divided into 8 taxonomic classes, two of which are extinct.
Cephalopod molluscs, like squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are the most
neurologically advanced of all invertebrates. The most universal characteristics
defining modern molluscs are a mantle with a significant cavity used for breathing and
excretion, the presence of a radula, and the organization of the nervous system. Did
you know Molluscs can produce pearls with shells? Some of these are also consumed
by humans in different parts of the world. Let us educate ourselves on this phylum of
the Kingdom of Animals.

Mollusca Examples:
Molluscs include mussels, scallops, oysters, periwinkles, whelks, squid, clams, snails,
and octopus.

Mollusca Characteristics
 They are mostly marine in water, few freshwater and some terrestrial form.
 They can be found inside other animals, as secret parasites.
 They range in size from giant squids and clams to small snails, one mm long.
  They have at least two radula and mantle characters, which are not found
elsewhere.
 The body is soft, unsegmented, bilateral symmetrical, coelomates, triploblastic
(except in Monoplacophora).
 Body organization is tissue-systems grade.
 The body has head, foot, mantle and visceral mass.
 The body is covered with often ciliated one-layered epidermis.
 The body is commonly protected by one or more pieces of exoskeletal
calcareous shell secreted by the mantle.
 Except in pelecypoda and scaphopoda, the head is distinct, containing the
mouth , eyes, tentacles and other sense organs.
 The ventral body is converted into a muscular plough-like surface, the foot
which is modified in different ways for creeping, burrowing and swimming.
 Mantle or pallium is a fold of a wall of the body that leaves the main body,
mantle cavity, within itself.
 Cavity of the body is hemocoel. The coelom is reduced and characterized by
pericardial cavity, gonadial cavity.
 Organ rasping, usually occurring radula or in pelecypoda.
 Except in cephalopods, the circulatory system is open type.
 There are numerous gills or ctenidia in the respiratory organs usually provided
with osphradium at the base. In terrestrial forms the lung develops.
 Respiration in Mollusca is provided by gills or lungs, or both.
 Their respiratory pigments are haemocyanin;
 Excretion is achieved by paired metanephridia (kidney).
 The mollusca nervous system consists of paired prefrontal, pleural, pedal and
visceral ganglia, along with longitudinal and transverse nervous connections.
Usually ganglia form a circumentary ring.
 Sense organs are composed of skin, statocysts and touch, smell , and taste
receptors.Sexes are usually separate (dioecious) but some are monoecious
(hermaphroditic).
 Development through the trochophore stage called veliger larva is direct or with
metamorphosis.
 The visceral mass, in its compact form, contains the vital organs of the body,
taking the form of dorsal humps or dome.
These are the special features of Mollusca.

Classification of Mollusca
Phylum Mollusca is a very diverse group of mainly marine species (85,000 species),
with a dramatic range of forms. Aplacophora, Monoplacophora, Polyplacophora,
Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Cephalopoda, and Scaphopoda can be divided into seven
groups.

Most animals belonging to this group of phylum have a calciferous shell. Their bodies
are generally very soft and are covered by a hard exoskeleton. They can be found in
the depths of the sea as well as in terrestrial regions, they range in size from twenty
meters to one millimeter, to even a few millimeters.
Echinoderms Characteristics
Due to their spiny skin, it is named as (Greek "echinos" meaning "spiny" and
echinoderms. This name is derived from Greek where "echinos" means "spiny''
and''dermos” means skin. This phylum is a collection of some 7,000 living species
described here. Echinodermata are exclusively marine species. Echinoderms are all
examples of marine stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sand dollars, and brittle stars.

 An adult echinoderm body is radially symmetrical.

 Echinoderm larva is bilaterally symmetrical
 An echinoderm normally has 5 parts which make them pentamerous
 The mouth is surrounded by a central disk leading to grooves with podia. These
grooves are called ambulacral grooves.
 An echinoderm's endoskeleton is composed of individual parts, called ossicles.
The ossicles are protected with skin or epidermis.
 The ossicles form a rigid shell known as a test in some echinoderms, such as
sand dollars and sea urchins.
 In Sea cucumbers, these ossicles may also fuse to form various structures, such
as the brittle spines of the sea urchin.
 The water vascular system is a primary part of echinoderm Biology.
 The system consists of a series of fluid-bearing tubes that attach all over the
organism in a ring-like structure. The system attaches to the podia and can be
used to fill it with fluid that extends the podium and stiffens it.
 A few echinoderms are sessile filter feeders while others are actively hunting
their prey. Though some filter feeder 's food is direct to their mouth
 Echinodermata circulatory system and nervous system is a basic system that
circulates around its body. Their hemal system is environmentally open and
allows for the exchange of gas through a series of channels throughout the
body.