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preantenna Peripatus
epidermis cuticle stomach pharynx chitinous lining
intestine
demis brain

circular and
diagonal
muscle
heart
tongue muscle
mandible
slime gland
tongue
ventral
-outer lip
longitudinal
muscle lobe of inner lip
oesophagus sensory spines
connective to brain' ~preoral cavity
first leg salivary gland opening of salivary duct

Fig. 4. Peripatus. Anterior end in sectional yiew.

AFFINITIES OF PERIPATUS
Peripatus has no economic importance; but it is
zoologically very interesting, because it exhibits
both arthropod and annelid characteristics as well
as peculiarities of its own.
[I] Annelidan Characteristies
(Y Vermiform body with truncated extremities.
2)Absence of a true head.
(3)
Dermo-muscular
thin
body-wall, consisting of a
flexible cuticle and underlying circular
and longitudinal muscles.
(4)Locomotion slow and by peristalsis as in
an earthworm.
(5) Structure of the simple eyes as
in
polychaetes.
(6Unjointed, hollow, stumpy appendages of
the nature of
extensions of the
like parapodia of Polychaeta.
(Y Simple, straight alimentary canal with
terminal mouth and anus.
8 Segmentally arranged paired nephridia.
(9)Slime and coxal glands correspond with
similar glands of Chaetopoda.
(10) Presence of cilia in the excretory and
reproductive ducts.
[I]Arthropodan Characteristics
(1)Presence of antennae.
(2) JawS are modified
with striped muscles. appendages provided
(3) Locomotion by definite legs, having
definite
musculature and provided with claws.
(4) Cuicle has a thin deposit of chitin, like
that of arthropods.
(5Body-cavity is a haemocoel.
(6) Ceelom reduced to small cavities that
surround the excretory and reproducive
ducts.
(7) Peculiar salivary glands, supposed to be
modified nephridia.
(8 Dorsal tubular heart with lateral ostia.
(9Presence of a tracheal respiratory system.
(10Brain is large and typically arthropodan.
body-wall, (11) General structure of the reproductive
organs and development mainly
arthropodan.
[] Onychophoran Characteristics
Following features are peculiar to Peripatius,
which they differ from other phyla :
extermal
Body shows no or indistinct
segmentation.
 ripatus
807

nephrocytporicardhal
ic tissue. cavty
heart
asadermis
demis
goad. Circular and
perivisceral.
haemocoel dagoral muscie
slime gland dorso iongitudinal
muscle
salivary gland
lateral longitudinal
muscle
lateral
haemocoel
nephridium transverse
muslce
nephrocytic
tissue
lateral
longitudinal
nerve cord

ventral
longitudinal muscle
claw
leg in section
spiniferous pads claw

Fig. 5. Peripatus. Body in T.S.

(2) Texture of skin. A rough
with cuticle covered
numerous velvety processes not known
in other phyla.
Antennae not homologous to the
TAXONOMIC POSITION
of other arthropods. antennae
(4) Three-segmented head of Peripatus
shows Onychophora have both annelidan and
a condition mid-way
between that of arthropodan characteristics. Therefore, they are
Annelida and Arthropoda. regarded to be an
intermediate stage or
(5) Restriction of jaws to a
single pair.
connecting link between Anneida and
Movement
of jaws is antero-posterior. Arthropoda. However, they appear to be more
(6) Presence of non-jointed legs with claws. closelyallied to arthropods than to annelids and
(0 Iregular distribution of spiracles or tracheal perhaps arose as an offshoot from near the base
of the arthropod line.
openings. Based such
(8 To ventral nerve cords widely phylogenetic considerations, Manton (1958) and
and without true ganglia. separated other
contemporary zoologists have included
9 Structure of eyes is less onychophorans within the Arhropoda as a class
(10) Distribution of
complicated. or a subphylum. But, lack of an exoskeeton and
reproductive organs. jointed limbs and the presence of primary
IV] Molluscan Characteristics annelidan characters in Onychophora create
serious problems. Others claim that Peripatus is
Peripatus was previously included with Molusca definitely an annelid. In fact, onychophorans are
to slug-like appearance of its body and ladder- neither worms nor arthropods but have distinctive
e nervous system, as found in characteristics of their oWn. Therefore,
Amphineura and
Prosobranchiata. But these are only superficial Onychophora are now-a-days treated as a
teSEmblances. separate phylum in their own right.