phylum coelenterata

Phylum Coelenterata Kingdom

Animalia

Coelenterata Habitat

Aquatic mostly marine some freshwater

Coelenterata Habit

Solitary or colonial with individual known as zooid

Grade of Organization in Coelenterata

Tissue grade with no organs

Hydrozoa Shape

Column or pipe shaped plant-like

Scyphozoa Shape

Bell or umbrella shaped

Cubozoa Shape

Cube or square shaped

Anthozoa Shape

Column or pipe shaped

Coelenterata Symmetry

Radially symmetrical

Coelom in Coelenterata

Gastrovascular cavity or coelenteron

Coelenterata Sexes

Male female or hermaphrodite

Germ Layers in Coelenterata

Diploblastic with outer ectoderm and inner endoderm

Mesogloea

Non-cellular layer separating ectoderm and endoderm

Sense Organs in Coelenterata

Absent

Endoskeleton in Coelenterata

Calcareous spicules siliceous spicules or spongin fibers

Nutrition in Coelenterata

Holozoic

Digestion in Coelenterata

Both intracellular and extracellular

Respiration in Coelenterata

Accomplished by simple diffusion

Nervous System in Coelenterata

Poorly developed with no sensory organs

Circulatory System in Coelenterata

Absent

Asexual Reproduction in Coelenterata

Budding

Sexual Reproduction in Coelenterata

Gametic fusion internal or external

Development in Coelenterata

Indirect with larval stage

Number of Coelenterata Species

Contains over 11000 species

Coelenterata Body Type

Typically invertebrates

Tissue Organization in Coelenterata

Simple tissue organization with true tissues and gastrovascular cavity

Coelenterata Attachment

Attached to bottom of waterbodies

Coelenterata Lifestyle

Can be sedentary or free swimming

Ectoderm

Outer layer of cells in diploblastic organisms

Endoderm

Inner layer of cells in diploblastic organisms

Cnidocyte

Specialized cell for capturing prey also called cnidoblast or nematocyte

Cnidocyte Function

Explosive cell having giant secretory organelle called cnida

Nematocyst

Specialized sub-cellular organelle in cnidocyte

Main Characteristic of Cnidaria

Presence of nematocysts

Prey Capture Mechanism

Tentacles with nematocysts inject toxin that paralyzes or kills prey

Coelenteron

Body cavity where digestion takes place

Two Morphological Forms

Polyp and medusa

Polyp Exoskeleton

Composed of calcium carbonate

Asexual Reproduction Form

Seen through budding in polyp form

Sexual Reproduction Form

Seen through gamete fusion in medusa form

Coelenterata Diet

Most are carnivorous with few exceptions like corals

Coral Food Source

Get food from animals living symbiotically with them

Class Hydrozoa Meaning

Hydra equals water zoon equals animal

Class Scyphozoa Common Name

True jellyfishes

Class Cubozoa Common Name

Box jellyfishes

Class Anthozoa Common Name

Anemones and corals

Hydrozoa Habitat

Mostly marine few freshwater

Hydrozoa Lifestyle

Solitary and some colonial

Hydrozoa Dominant Form

Asexual polyp is dominant form

Hydrozoa Medusa Feature

Medusa form possesses true velum

Hydrozoa Mesogloea

Simple and acellular

Hydrozoa Examples

Hydra Obelia Physalia physalis Tubularia

Hydra Diet

Feeds on insect larvae small crustaceans water fleas seed shrimps and copepods

Hydra Movement

Stationary for long periods may move by bending body attaching tentacles releasing basal disc

Hydra Regenerative Ability

Can regenerate and appear to neither age nor die of old age

Hydra Death Causes

Can die from injury starvation or unsuitable conditions

Obelia Habitat

Coastal waters along western United States

Obelia Diet

Feeds on small zooplankton

Obelia Growth Pattern

Grows in branching stalks

Obelia Abundance

Small and abundant in summer

Obelia Community Type

Part of coastal benthic fouling communities

Physalia physalis Common Name

Portuguese Man of War

Physalia physalis Habitat

Floats on surface of tropical marine waters

Physalia physalis Structure

Colony of four types of polyps float tentacles feeding zooids

Pneumatophore

Gas filled polyp in Portuguese Man of War

Dactylozooids

Polyp for locating and catching prey

Gastrozooids

Tentacles in Portuguese Man of War

Gonozooids

Produces gametes for reproduction

Physalia Cnidocytes Location

Located in the tentacles

Physalia Locomotion

Generally passive driven by winds and currents cannot swim

Physalia Diet

Feeds mainly on fish fry small adult fish shrimp crustaceans and plankton animals

Scyphozoa Habitat

Exclusively marine

Scyphozoa Lifestyle

Solitary freely swimming

Scyphozoa Dominant Form

Medusa is dominant

Scyphozoa Shape Description

Large bell or umbrella shaped

Scyphozoa Polyp Stage

Short lived or absent

Scyphozoa Mesogloea

Usually cellular

Scyphozoa Examples

Aurelia aurita and Rhizostoma

Aurelia aurita Common Name

Moon jelly

Aurelia aurita Habitat

Near coast mostly warm and tropical waters

Aurelia aurita Swimming Method

Pulsations of bell-shaped upper part to stay at surface

Aurelia aurita Diet

Carnivorous feeds on plankton mollusks crustaceans diatoms and eggs

Rhizostoma Common Name

Dust-bin lid jellyfish

Rhizostoma Habitat

Near coast mostly warm and tropical waters

Cubozoa Characteristics

Swims fast can maneuver around things sees fairly well despite no brain

Cubozoa Similarity

Similar in form to true jellyfish scyphozoans

Cubozoa Shape from Above

Square shaped when viewed from above

Cubozoa Medusae

Cube-shaped medusae

Dangerous Cubozoa Species

Chironex fleckeri Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi

Cubozoa Sting Danger

Stings extremely painful and can be fatal to humans

Cubozoa Sting Treatment Warning

Do not pee on the sting

Anthozoa Meaning

Anthos equals flower zoos equals animal flower like animals

Anthozoa Habitat

Exclusively marine

Anthozoa Types

Sea anemones stony corals soft corals and gorgonians

Anthozoa Lifestyle

Solitary or colonial

Anthozoa Medusa Stage

Absent

Anthozoa Mesogloea

Contains fibrous connective tissue and amoeboid cells

Anthozoa Examples

Metridium Tubipora Xenia

Metridium senile Common Names

Plumose anemone or frilled anemone

Metridium Attachment

Attached to rocks or other hard surfaces