Cnidaria
From RTAW Reefpedia
(Redirected from cnidarians)
Taxonavigation |
Introduction
Commonly referred to as Cnidarians.
Characteritics
The phylum Cnidaria organisms are those within the super-phylum Radiata that have the following characteristics [1];
- gut lined by endoderm (like most other animals, however referred to as gastrovascular cavity as involved in circulation as well as digestion),
- single opening that functions as both mouth and anus,
- circle of tentacles containing nematocysts surrounding the mouth to aid in capture and ingestion of food, and defence against predators,
- two available forms, the sessile polyp or free swimming medusa, and
- are predominantly marine.
Classification
Cnidaria is split up into five different classes as follows:
- Anthozoa - corals, soft corals, anemones, corallimorphs and zoanthids
- Cubozoa - box jellyfish
- Hydrozoa - hydrozoans, including hydroids, hydrocorals and Physalia (Bluebottles AKA Portuguese man-of-war).
- Scyphozoa - jellyfish
- Staurozoa - stalked jellyfish
Gallery
Resources
- Cnidaria - Wikipedia
- Reproduction of Cnidaria - Fautin, D. G., Reproduction of Cnidaria, Canadian Journal of Zoology, (2002), 80, 1735.
References
- ↑ (Ruppert Barnes 1994): Ruppert, E.E., Barnes, R.D., Invertebrate Zoology, Saunders College Publishing: Sydney, 1994.
