Lophotrochozoa and Its Members

Flashcards focused on the vocabulary and key concepts related to the Lophotrochozoa superphylum and its biological members.

Lophotrochozoa

A superphylum of protostome animals that includes Ectoprocts, Brachiopods, Mollusks, and Annelids.

Ectoprocts/Bryozoa

A phylum within Lophotrochozoa known for its colonial and sessile organisms, often with distinct lophophores for feeding.

Lophophore

A feeding apparatus composed of ciliated tentacles used to create currents for feeding on plankton.

Trochophore larvae

A type of larva characterized by its diamond shape and ciliated bands used for swimming and feeding.

Brachiopods

Marine organisms known as 'lamp shells' that have two-part shells and resemble bivalves but are structurally distinct.

Convergent Evolution

The independent evolution of similar traits in different lineages, seen in the resemblance between Brachiopods and bivalves.

Phylum Mollusca

The second largest animal phylum, characterized by soft bodies, and often a hard shell, including snails, clams, and squids.

Class Bivalvia

A class within Mollusca comprising clams, oysters, and mussels, recognized by their two-part shells and suspension feeding.

Radula

A rasp-like feeding structure in many mollusks used for scraping food.

Annelida

A phylum known as segmented worms which includes earthworms and leeches, characterized by their segmented bodies.