PHYLUM CHORDATA:

SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
 The Subphylum Vertebrata is the most
diverse of the three subphyla in the
Phylum Chordata.
 It has two divisions or superclasses,
namely the Agnatha and the
Gnathostomata
Subphylum
Vertebrata

Agnatha Gnathostomata
 Superclass Agnatha/Cyclostomata
 Members of this class are fish-like vertebrates
that lack jaws and paired appendages.
 They have sucker-like mouths.
 They possess a cartilaginous skeleton and a
notochord that persists into the adult stage.
 The superclass has two extant (living) classes,
namely the Class Myxini and Class
Cephalaspidomorphi.
Superclass Agnatha

Class
Class Myxini
Cephalaspidomorphi
 Class Myxini
 Members of this class are known as the hagfishes.
 They are exclusively marine.
 They are considered by most zoologists as the
most primitive group of vertebrates.

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 Class Cephalaspidomorphi
 Lampreys are the living representatives of this
class.
 They are found in both freshwater and marine
environments.

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 Superclass Gnathostomata
 This is a superclass of jawed vertebrates
with paired appendages.
 It can be divided into two major
categories, i.e.

Superclass Gnathostomata

The tetrapods (those with four

Those that bear fins
limbs)
 Superclass Gnathostomata
1.Those that bear fins
 Class Chondrichthyes
 Class Osteichthyes
2.The tetrapods
 Class Amphibia
 Class Reptilia
 Class Aves
 Class Mammalia

NB: This arrangement follows the evolutionary

trend
Class Chondrichthyes
 This is a class of vertebrate animals characterised by a
cartilaginous endoskeleton and most members
have epidermal placoid scales.
 Members of this class can be divided into two.
1. Subclass Elasmobranchii: This includes the sharks,
skates and rays. They have placoid scales.

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 Class Chondrichthyes (cont’d)
Subclass Holocephali: A very good example is Chimaera.
Holocephalans are different from elasmobranchs with the
presence of a gill cover (operculum) and lack of scales.

NOTE: The first group of vertebrate animals to

possess the operculum are the holocephalans.

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Foundation
 Class Osteichthyes
 This is the largest class of vertebrate animals.
 Members of this class have the following features:
1. Some bone in their skeleton and/or scales
2. An operculum covering the gill openings
3. Lungs or a swim bladder
 It has two subclasses namely
1. Subclass Sarcopterygii
2. Subclass Actinopterygii
 ©Open3DModel

Subclass Sarcopterygii: They

have muscular lobes associated
with their fins, e.g. lungfishes
(Protopterus in Tropical Africa)
and coelacanths (Latimeria in
Africa-Madagascar).

Subclass Actinopterygii:
Their fins lack muscular lobes,
hence they are called the ray-
finned fishes, e.g. sturgeons,
paddlefish, tilapia, cat fish etc.
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