The Animal Phyla

Porifera

Representatives: sponges
Diagnostic features: sessile, porous filter feeder, asymmetrical

Cnidaria

Representatives: hydra, coral, jellyfish, sea anemone
Diagnostic features: stinging cells, radial symmetry, polyp / medusa

Mollusca

Representatives: clams, snails, squids
Diagnostic features: mantle (shell), visceral mass, muscular head-foot

Bivalves

Representatives: clams
Diagnostic features: two shells
this is a class of the Mollusca phylum

Gastropods

Representatives: snails
Diagnostic features: radula
this is a class of the Mollusca phylum

Cephalopods

Representatives: squids
Diagnostic features: jet propulsion
this is a class of the Mollusca phylum

Annelida

Representatives: earthworms, leeches, nereis
Diagnostic features: segmented body, coelom (internal body cavity), hydrostatic skeleton

Arthropoda

Representatives: flies, spiders, shrimp, crayfish
Diagnostic features: exoskeleton, jointed appendages

Insectium

Representatives: flies
Diagnostic features: wings, trachea
this is a class of the Arthropoda phylum

Crustaceans

Representatives: shrimp, crayfish
this is a class of the Arthropoda phylum

Echinodermata

Representatives: starfish, sea urchin
Diagnostic features: water vascular system (tube feet), spiny skin

Chordata

Representatives: everything that doesn't belong to the other phylums
Diagnostic features: notochord, dorsal and hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal gill pouches, post-anal tail
this is a huge phylum with two subphylums

Invertebrates

Representatives: tunicates, lancelets
this is a subphylum of the Chordata phylum

Vertebrates

Representatives: fish, amphibians, reptiles, aves, mammals
this is a subphylum of the Chordata phylum

Fish

Representatives: salmon, shark
this is a class of the subphylum Vertebrates

Amphibians

Representatives: frogs, salamanders
this is a class of the subphylum Vertebrates

Reptiles

Representatives: turtles, snakes, crocodiles
this is a class of the subphylum Vertebrates

Aves

Representatives: birds
this is a class of the subphylum Vertebrates

Mammals

Representatives: placentals, monotremes, marsupials
this is a class of the subphylum Vertebrates

Hepatophyta

Representatives: liverworts

Diagnostic features: flattened leaf-like structures, non-vascular

Bryophyta

Representatives: mosses

Diagnostic features: small simple leaves, non-vascular, form dense mats

Pteridophyta

Representatives: ferns

Diagnostic features: vascular system, spores

Coniferophyta

Representatives: cedars, pacific yew, douglas fir

Diagnostic features: vascular system, seeds on cones, needle-like leaves

Anthophyta

Representatives: maple, red alder

Diagnostic features: flowers, seeds enclosed in fruits

Magnoliophyta

Representatives: madrone, salal, ivy

Diagnostic features: flowers, fruits, double fertilization

ascomycota

Representatives: old man’s beard

Diagnostic features: asci

basidiomycota

Representatives: artist’s fungus

Diagnostic features: basidia, spores

malacostraca

Representatives: purple shore crab

Diagnostic features: head, thorax, abdomen, antennae