Chordata and Echinoderms Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Chordata and Echinoderms.

Stoplight Parrotfish

A species of fish that changes color and sex based on its environment and is an important herbivore on coral reefs.

Deuterostome

An organism in which the mouth forms secondarily, after the anus, seen in Echinoderms and Chordates.

Asymmetrical

A lack of symmetry in the body structure, often associated with the larval stage of various organisms.

Chordata

A phylum defined by four characteristics: notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and post-anal tail.

Heterocercal Tail

A type of tail where the vertebra extends into the upper lobe, commonly found in Chondrichthyes.

Homocercal Tail

A type of tail where the vertebrae terminate at the peduncle, typical in Teleost fishes.

Urochordata

A subphylum that includes tunicates, characterized by free-swimming larval forms and sessile adults.

Cephalochordata

A subphylum that includes lancelets, which exhibit all four chordate characteristics throughout their lives.

Myxini

The class of jawless fishes, also known as hagfishes, which are scavengers and produce mucus as a defense mechanism.

Petromyzontida

The class of jawless fish known as lampreys, which can be ectoparasitic and do not feed as adults.

Gnathostomata

A clade that includes jawed chordates, characterized by the presence of jaws.

Chondrichthyes

The class that encompasses cartilaginous fishes such as sharks, rays, and skates.

Actinopterygii

A class of ray-finned fishes that are the largest group of vertebrates.

Osteichthyes

The clade of bony fishes that features a heavily ossified skeleton and lungs or swim bladders.

Clade

A grouping of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants.

Craniata

A subphylum that includes animals with a braincase and complex sensory organs.