Animals

Sponges
sponges are the simplest form of multi-cellular animals. they are diverse and come in different shape and colors. they range in heights of 1-200 cm and in diameters of 1-150 cm. Sponges do not have muscles, nervous system or internal organs!! their walls are lined with small holes (pores) called ostia that allow water to flow into the sponge. Sponges are made of four simple and indepedent cells the first is the collar cells(they help bring oxygen and nutrients to the sponge and also removes waste and carbon dioxide), the second cells are porocyte(cells that makes up the pores of the sponge), the third are the Epidermal cells(forms the skin outside of the sponge) last but not least the fourth which are ameobocytes exist( they carry out functions of the sponge and help transport nutrients). Sponges live in all types of region. 99% of all sponges live in marine water but some made of spongin fiber live in freshwater. Sponges are important in nutrien ts cycles in the coral reef systems. Scientist believe they may be important factors to changes in water quality whether it is good or bad. Sponges can reproduce both asexually and sexually.

Cnidarians
Cnidarians are considered animals and not plants, because of their mouth and a simple digestive system at the center of their tentacles. They are very simple and "beautiful".Cnidarians have features that sponges lack on. One such feature is presence of the gastrula stage during embryonic development. All cnidarians use tentacles which have stinging cells which are used to capture food. There are four major groups of cnidarians Anthozoa, Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, and Scyphozoa.


Corals-octocoral polyps
Octocoral polyps are related to soft corals but since they grow low to the ground they are not nearly as noticeable on a reef or in an aquarium.A coral polyp is a tubular saclike animal with a central mouth surrounded by a ring of tentacles. The end opposite the tentacles, called the base, is attached to the substrate. Depending on the species, coral polyps may measure less than an inch to several inches in diameter. Coral colonies also vary in size. Some corals form only small colonies. Others may form colonies several feet high. Octocoral polyps are commonly called clove, glove and daisy polyps. Most of the corals in this group are a type of Stoloniferan. the polyps have eight prominent tentacles with a varying degree of pinnules which give the tentacles a feathery appearance. When the pinnules are not prominent the polyp bears resemblance to a flower they are anthozoan cnidarians with polyps bearing eight pinnate tentacles and eight complete septa. Most species have a skeleton or tissue containing calcareous sclerites, and an axis that is horny or calcified to varying degrees.



Box Jellyfish
The box jellyfish is also known as box fish and sea wasp. they are invertebrates that are carnivores, they also have one of the fastest working toxins and kills more people each year than any other marine animal.The box jellyfish's venom is among the most deadly in the world, containing toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells.human victims have been known to go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors can experience considerable pain for weeks and often have significant scarring where the tentacles made contact. box jellyfish are usually found in shallow waters.They are pale blue and transparent in color and get their name from the cube-like shape of their bell. They have developed the ability to move rather than just drift, jetting at up to four knots through the water. They also have eyes grouped in clusters of six on the four sides of their bell. Each cluster includes a pair of eyes with a sophisticated lens, retina, iris and cornea, although without a central nervous system, scientists aren’t sure how they process what they see. Up to 15 tentacles grow from each corner of the bell and can reach 10 feet (3 meters) in length and weights up to 4 pounds. Each tentacle has about 5,000 stinging cells, which are triggered not by touch but by the presence of a chemical on the outer layer of its prey.They only live for less than 1 year in the wild.


Flatworms

Flatworms also have a sac body plan, meaning they have one opening that functions as both a mouth and an anus. However, flatworms are bilaterally symmetrical, and have three germ layers. Having three germ layers allows for greater tissue specialization, giving flatworms specialized digestive systems, excretory systems,

reproductive systems, and nervous systems, which are exemplified by the Planaria, a heterotrophic free-living flatworm.

parasitic flatworms

Flatworms that are parasitic on humans fall into two categories, flukes and tapeworms. Due to the environment that they live, in a gut of a human, these flatworms have an anatomy different that a planaria. Generally, a parasitic flatworm will have a reduced digestive system and a more complex reproductive system and life cycle. Also, parasitic flatworms will usually have hooks on the scolex (anterior region) to attach it to the wall of the gut, and they have an extra outer covering (glycocalyx) to protect it from being digested. When a flatworm reproduces, the eggs are passed out with feces. When consumed by another host the life cycle continues.Flukes and tapeworms can infect many different animal hosts. They will usually have two each per life cycle, one when sexually mature, which is called the primary host, and a secondary host in which the eggs mature to larvae.


Planaria
Planaria are non-parasitic flatworms of the biological family Planariidae, belonging to the order Seriata. Planaria are common to many parts of the world, living in both saltwater and freshwater ponds and rivers. Some species are terrestrial and are found on plants in humid areas. These animals move by beating cilia on the ventral dermis, allowing them to glide along on a film of mucus. Some move by undulations of the whole body by the contractions of muscles built into the body wall. They exhibit an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost body parts. For example, a planarian split lengthwise or crosswise will regenerate into two separate individuals. The size ranges from 3 to 12 mm, and the body has two eye-spots (also known as ocelli) that can detect the intensity of light. The eye-spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from light sources. Planaria have three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm), and are acoelomate (i.e. they have a very solid body with no body cavity). They have a single-opening digestive tract, consisting of one anterior branch and two posterior branches in freshwater planarians. Because of this three-branched organization, freshwater flatworms are often referred to as triclad planarians.The most frequently used in the high school and first-year college laboratories is the brownish Dugesia tigrina. Other common varieties are the blackish Planaria maculata and Dugesia dorotocephala. Recently, however, the species Schmidtea mediterranea has emerged as the species of choice for modern molecular biological and genomic research due to its diploid chromosomes and existence in both asexual and sexual strains. Recent genetic screens utilizing double-stranded RNA technology have uncovered 240 genes that affect regeneration in S. mediterranea. Interestingly, many of these genes are found in the human genome.It should be noted that the term "planaria" is most often used as a common name. It is also the name of a genus within the family Planariidae. Sometimes, it also refers to the genus Dugesia.

Roundworms

Roundworms (phylum Nematoda) are a tube-within-a-tube body plan. That is, unlike the Platyhelminthes and Cnidarians which have a single opening functioning as a mouth and an anus, the Nematodes have a separate mouth and anus. This design does allow for specialization of digestive organs, but Nematodes simply have a gut. Sexual reproduction will typically occur between separate sexes, with internal fertilization, and eggs laid for young.

Annelids

The annelids include animals such as the earthworms, leeches, and marine worms. The general characteristics of an Annelid are similar to those of a roundworm; in that, they are bilaterally symmetrical, have tree germ layers, tube-within-a-tube body plan, and organs. However, an Annelid also has a true coelom, and segmentation, which both allow for greater specification of body parts. Septa are partitions between segments and allow structural support by creating a hydroelastic skeleton. The septa allow for specialized parts of the digestive system, which will be discussed in the anatomy of the earthworm later in this lesson. The excretory system consists of nephridia (filtering organ) in each segment. The Annelid moves by alternating contractions of circular and longitudinal muscles. The circular muscles encompass the body wall and therefore contractions cause the body to become long and thin. The longitudinal muscles run the length of the body, and cause the body to shorten and fatten.

earthworms
are very important animals that aerate the soil with their burrowing action and enrich the soil with their waste products (called castings).There are over 3,000 species of earthworms around the world.These invertebrates (animals without a backbone) range in color from brown to to red, and most have a soft body. Earthworms range in size from a few inches long to over 22 feet long. The largest earthworms live in South Africa and Australia. Although each earthworm is hermaphroditic (having both male and female reproductive systems), it takes two worms to mate and reproduce. The reproductive organs are in the clitellum (the enlarged segments in the middle of an earthworm). The clitellum later forms a cocoon which protects the developing eggs.


mollusks
mollusk is another name for a shellfish.A Mollusk has a soft, thick, fleshy body. It can be very small or as big as six feet across. There are three groupings of shellfish. the first Hatchet-footed-these kinds lives inside of two shells that ere connected by a muscular hinge which can open and close the shell they are know as bivalves. Clams, scallops, oysters and mussels are bivalves. the second are the belly-footed these have just one spiral shell and carry their shells on their backs They are called univalves Snails, slug,periwinkle and conch belong to this group. the last are the head-footed these have a definite head surrounded by tentacles. the squid and octopus are two in this group.


Oysters
They are part of the hatchet-footed categories of mollusks.The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of bivalve mollusks, most of which live in marine habitats or brackish water. The shell consists of two usually highly calcified valves which surround a soft body. Gills filter plankton from the water, and strong adductor muscles are used to hold the shell closed. Some types of oysters are highly prized as food, both raw and cooked. Other types, such as pearl oysters, are not commonly eaten. True oysters, belonging to the family Ostreidae, are incapable of making gem-quality pearls, although the opposite idea is a commonly-encountered misapprehension, often seen in illustrations or photographs where an edible oyster shell is mistakenly paired with a gem-quality pearl.


Conch
part of the belly-footed category.A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails or their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Strombidae, and the genus Strombus. A conch's shell has a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal. Other species often called a "conch" include the crown conch Melongena species; the horse conch Pleuroploca gigantea; and the sacred chank or more correctly Shankha shell, Turbinella pyrum. None of these are in the family Strombidae, but instead in other families of the molluscs.Another use, the conch in architecture refers to shells with a totally different scallop shape. The true conch species within the genus Strombus vary in size from fairly small to very large. Several of the larger species are economically important as food sources; these include the endangered queen conch or pink conch Strombus gigas, which very rarely may produce a pink, gem quality pearl. About 74 species of the Strombidae family are living, and a much larger number of species exist only in the fossil record. Of the living species, most are in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Six species live in the greater Caribbean region, including the Queen Conch, and the West Indian Fighting Conch, Strombus pugilis. Many species of conch live on sandy bottoms among beds of sea grass in warm tropical waters.

octopus
the octopus is a cephalopod of the order Octopoda that inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, especially coral reefs. The term may also refer to only those creatures in the genus Octopus. In the larger sense, there are around 300 recognized octopus species, which is over one-third of the total number of known cephalopod species. An octopus has eight flexible arms, which trail behind it as it swims. Most octopuses have no internal or external skeleton, allowing them to squeeze through tight places. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms. Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably the most intelligent invertebrates. They are known to build "forts" and "traps" in the wild, and for rearranging tanks and burying other animals alive in domestication. For this reason, they are quite notorious among aquarium operators. For defense against predators, they hide, flee quickly, expel ink, or use color-changing camouflage. Octopuses are bilaterally symmetrical, like other cephalopods, with two eyes and four pairs of arms. All octopuses are venomous, but only the small blue-ringed octopuses are deadly to humans.


Echinoderm
Starfish belong to a group or phylum of animals called echinoderms. This means "spiny skinned" in Greek. Echinoderms live in salt water only. They generally have five arms and dwell at the bottom of oceans' levels. There are around 6000 species of echinoderms. The starfish, sea urchin, sea cucumber and sand dollar are some good examples. A Echinoderm has an inner skeleton. It travels by means of many tube feet. Echinoderm has a mouth and stomach area. Some have a mouth on the bottom and an anus on the top.Starfish can actually turn their stomachs outside of their body and insert it into its prey's such as a clam. Echinoderms have a relatively big gut area.A Echinoderm is a male or female. The males and females discharge their eggs and sperm into the water where they are fertilized. A female can release one hundred million eggs at once. If a piece of certain echinoderms is chopped off, a new piece or even a new echinoderm can regrow.A Echinoderm has an inner skeleton. It travels by means of many tube feet. Echinoderm has a mouth and stomach area. Some have a mouth on the bottom and an anus on the top.Starfish can actually turn their stomachs outside of their body and insert it into its prey's such as a clam. Echinoderms have a relatively big gut area.A Echinoderm is a male or female. The males and females discharge their eggs and sperm into the water where they are fertilized. A female can release one hundred million eggs at once. If a piece of certain echinoderms is chopped off, a new piece or even a new echinoderm can regrow.

crown of thorns
the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish is a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps. The crown-of-thorns receives it name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body. The Crown-of-Thorns is endemic to tropical coral reefs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. Solitary animals, they feed alone and maintain constant distance between themselves and other members of their species. The Crown-of-Thorns is the second largest sea star in the world. Only the Giant Sunstar is larger.


sea urchin
Sea urchins are spiny marine invertebrates that comprise, along with sand dollars, sea biscuits, and heart uchins the Class Echnoidea within the Phylum Echinodermata. Sea urchins differ from the other echinoids by having a more-or-less spherical body-plan and are thus referred to as "regular" or "globose" echinoids. Like other echinoderms, sea urchins utilize a hydraulic system of tube feet for locomotion and display pentameral or five-rayed symmetry - most clearly delineated in their test (a.k.a. shell). Although relatively small (generally less than 15 cm in diameter), some species can have spines over 20 cm long. With somewhere around 800 extant species, sea urchin are a cosmopolitan critter - found from the Arctic to the Antactic and from the intertidal zone to the deep-sea, common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, and red. They move slowly.

sea cucumber
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms. Sea cucumbers are sausage shaped, and their skin is covered with warty bumps or soft spines. When threatened, cucumbers can contract their muscles and shoot out water from their body making them shorter, thicker, and harder. Some can even shoot out their insides and then go and grow new insides. their diet consist of dead and decaying organic material, algae, tiny plankton. these are the types of sea cucumbers;California, sweet potato, warty, white, orange, slipper.There are some 1,250 known species, and many of these animals are indeed shaped like soft-bodied cucumbers. All sea cucumbers are ocean dwellers, though some inhabit the shallows and others live in the deep ocean. They live on or near the ocean floor—sometimes partially buried beneath it.The animals break down these particles into even smaller pieces, which become fodder for bacteria, and thus recycle them back into the ocean ecosystem. Earthworms perform a similar function in terrestrial ecosystems.Sea cucumbers can breed sexually or asexually.

arthropods

Animal GroupArthropods are animals with segmented bodies and six or more jointed legs. They are the largest animal group on Earth. In fact, more than three out of four of all animals are arthropods. They are found everywhere - on land, in trees, in freshwater and saltwater, and even underground. Arthropods are generally small. Most are less than 1 cm long. Some arthropods, however, are quite large. The giant king crab, for example, measures over 3.2 m from the tip of one outstretched leg to another. Some of the most familiar arthropods are butterflies, beetles, flies, ants, bees, spiders, scorpions, shrimp, and crabs.
Arthropods are critical to the food chain. They are the major source of food for most other animals and even a few plants. Birds, reptiles, fish, and other arthropods eat them. Even people eat arthropods. In the oceans, arthropods such as krill, copepods, and other crustaceans form the foundation of the food chain on which most fish and sea mammals survive.

lobster
Lobsters are ten-legged crustaceans closely related to shrimp and crabs. These benthic, or bottom-dwelling, creatures are found in all of the world’s oceans, as well as brackish environments and even freshwater. They have poor eyesight but highly developed senses of taste and smell. They feed primarily on fish and mollusks, but will consume algae and other plant life and even other lobsters. They feed primarily on fish and mollusks, but will consume algae and other plant life and even other lobsters.Female lobsters carry their eggs under their abdomens for up to a year before releasing them as larvae into the water. The larvae go through several stages in the water column before settling on the bottom, where they spend the rest of their lives. They ge nerally prefer to live in self-dug burrows, in rocky crevices, or hidden among sea grasses. Lobsters must shed their shells in order to grow, and some species can live to be 50 years old or more, growing continually throughout their lives.


king crabs

King crabs, also called stone crabs are mainly found in cold seas. Beacause of their size and taste, they’re c o u ght abundantly and sold sold as food. They’re believed to originate from the hermit c rab ancestory, which may be the reason why the adult form is still found asymmetry. The evidence for this explanation comes from the asymmetry of the king crab's abdomen, which is thought to reflect the asymmetry of hermit crabs, which must fit into a spiral shell. King crabs have 6 legs, one larger crusher claw and one smaller pincher claw.

Ants

Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities. More than 10,000 known ant species occ u r around the world. They are especially prevalent in tropical forests, wh ere they may be up t o half of all the insects living in some locations. Ants communicate and cooperate by using chemicals that can alert others to danger or lead them to a promising food source. They typically eat nectar, seeds, fungus, or insects. However, some species have diets that are more unusual.An t s are social insects of the family Formicidae belonging in the order Hymenoptera. They range in size from 8/100 to 1 inch. Their body are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax, an d the abdomen. The thorax, or mus section is connected to the abdomen bya small waist section. The mouth consist of two sets of jaws. The outter part is used for carrying food and building nest, while the inner jaw is used for chewing. Most ants have simple eyes, called ocelli, on top of the head, as well as the compound eye with many lenses on each side of the head, but their vision is poor, but the most useful than the eyes are the antennae, two slender rods that wve constantly when ants move about. The antennae is used for their se nse of smell and touch, they also use the rods located on their antennae to recognixe their nest and colony.

Funnel web spider
Funnel webs are large spiders, 1.5 - 4.5 cm body length with glossy dark carapace. The abdomen is usually dark plum to black and not patterned. Female Funnel web spiders spend most of their life in their burrows, but do occasionally hunt at night. Males however wander in search for females, mainly during summer and autumn. The males spend their whole short adulthood seeking as many receptive females to mate. They approach the females in their burrows by following their chemical attraction scent. During mating, the male must restrain the female from striking him with her fangs using the spurs on his second legs, while he transfers sperm into her genital opening. The female then spins a pillow shaped silk egg sack, which holds up to 100 eggs. They hatch in about three weeks later and stay with their mother for a few months. They mature in about two to four years , females living up to 10 years, male dying about 6 to 10 months after maturity.