Mollusca,echinodermata,

hemichordata,chordata
 Phylum- mollusca
• Latin molluscus= soft bodied
• Terrestrial or aquatic(freshwater or marine)
• Mollusca is the second largest phylum
• They have soft body
• Triploblastic
• Eucoelomate
• Organ system level of organisation
• Assymetrical in gastropoda(eg. Pila) and the rest
are bilaterally symmetrical (eg. Octopus,mussel)
• Tube within a tube body plan.
• Digestion- extracellular
• Body divided into 3 parts-
1.Head- absent in pelecypoda and scaphopoda
2.visceral mass/hump
3.muscular foot
• The visceral mass holds the bulk of digestive,
reproductive, excretory and respiratory system.
• The mantle/pallium secretes the shell.
• Head- carries mouth,eyes, and tentacles
• Foot- ventral,thick,muscular. It is modified for
creeping, ploughing and seizing.
• Mantle- it is a thick, fleshy fold of dorsal body
wall. The space between mantle and viscera is
the mantle cavity. In the mantle cavity gills are
present.
• Shell- hard, brittle and calcareous
• Shell is made up of calcium carbonate
• Shell is of two types-
1. Internal shell eg.Sepia
2. External shell eg.Pila
• Circulatory system- open type
• Respiratory system- ctenidia/gills and pulmonary
sac(terrestrial form)
• Respiratory pigment- haemocyanin(blue color
pigment)
• Torsion/twisting- it is the rotation of the
visceral mass, mantle, and shell 180 degree
with respect to the head and foot of the
gastropod. This rotation brings the mantle
cavity and the anus to an anterior position
above the head.
• Radula- tongue like organ used for feeding.
The radular teeth is made up of chitin.
Sepia (cuttle fish)
• Excretory system- ammonotelic in aquatic and
ureotelic in terrestrial
• Keber’s organ(pericardial gland) serve as kidneys in
Unio
• Bojanus organ serve as kidneys in Pila
• Nervous system- paired ganglia with several nerves.
• Sense organ- osphradium(it helps to detect the taste
of water),touch sensitive sensory tentacles, eyes,
statocyst.
• Reproductive system- sexes usually separate
but some maybe monoecious eg, Aplysia(sea
hare), Doris(sea lemon).
• Oviparous mostly and few viviparous.
• Fertilization- usually internal but some are
external
• Development- direct or indirect with veliger
larva, trochophore, glochidium etc.
• Phylum mollusca is divided into 6 classes
namely-
Class 1. monoplacophora (Greek. Mono=single;
placo=shell or plate; phora=bearing)
• Foot- broad,flat sole-like or disc-like with flat
creeping sole
• Shell- spoon-shaped or cup-shaped, formed of
one piece only.
• Eg. Neopilina
Class 2. polyplacophora( Greek. Poly=many)
• Most primitive mollusc
• Body-dorsoventrally flattened,broad,flat
• Shell- dorsal and formed of many plates(8 in
nos)
• Nervous system-primitive and ladder-like with
or without ganglia
• Eg. Chiton
Class 3. scaphopoda (Greek. Skaphe=boat;
podos=foot)
• The foot of the animal looks like a boat hull.
• Body- elongated and cylindrical.
• Foot- conical, adapted for creeping and
burrowing.
• Shell- univalved,tubular and is in the form of
tusk of an elephant.
• Eg. Dentalium( tusk shell)
Class 4. Gastropoda ( Greek gaster=belly or stomach; podos= foot)
• Stomach lies above the fleshy foot that is why they are called
stomach foot.
• Largest class of mollusca.
• Shell- univalved, spirally coiled or absent
• Foot- broad, muscular, sole- like flattened and adapted for
creeping
• Visceral mass- coiled showing torsion.
• Larva-bilaterally symmetrical
• Adult-assymetrical
• Eg. Pila(apple snail), Limnaea(pond snail)
Class 5. Pelecypoda or bivalvia ( Greek.
Pelekys=hatchet; podos=foot)
• Shell- 2 valves united dorsally by hinge-ligament.
• Mantle- 2 lateral flaps that completely enclose the
body.
• Foot- looks like axe when the animal extends its
foot that is why they are called pelecypoda.
• Radula absent.
• Eg. Unio(fresh water mussel), oysters, clams
Class 6. Cephalopoda ( Greek kephale=head;
podos=foot)
• Foot is found near the head that is why they are
called cephalopod.
• Head- large
• Foot- modified into arms or tentacles attached to the
head.
• Shell- external or well-formed or internal and
reduced or totally absent.
• Eg. Sepia(cuttle fish), Loligo(squid),Octopus( devilfish)
Sepia(cuttle fish)
Loligo(squid)
 Neopilina
• They were thought to be extinct but live
specimens were found in 1952 from the
pacific ocean
• It is a living fossil
• It is considered as a connecting link between
annelids and mollusc
annelida mollusca
• Internal • Presence of-
metamerism 1.Radula
• Excretory organ- 2.Mantle
nephridia 3.shell
• Examples of mollusca-
Pila(apple snail), Pinctada(pearl oyster),
Sepia(cuttle fish), Loligo(squid),
Octopus(devil fish), Aplysia(sea hare),
Dentalium(tusk shell), Chaetopleura(chiton)
 Phylum echinodermata
• Greek echinos = spiny; derma= skin
• Exclusively marine and benthic
• Triploblastic
• Coelomate
• Organ system level of organisation
• Digestive system complete(they have both mouth and
anus)
• Adults are all radially symmetrical
• Larvae is bilaterally symmetrical
• Deuterostomes (blastopore forms the anus)
• Body-without head, no anterior and posterior
end.
• Spines-calcareous plates bear immovable
spines.
• Pedicellariae- pincer like structure to keep the
surface clean.
• Tube feet or podia-locomotory organ and are
formed of rows of ambulacral region
• Respiration- Takes place by dermal branchiae
or papullae protruding from the dermis(sea
star) or by peristomial gills(sea urchin) or
cloacal tree(sea cucumber) and tubefeet (sea
star).
• Excretion ammonotelic
• Excretory organ absent
• No pigment in blood and no heart
• Nervous system- circum-oral ring and radial
nerves, brain absent, sense organs are simple
• Reproduction- indirect
• Larva-dipleurula larva is the basic larval form
• Calcareous ossicles- They are small calcareous
elements embedded in the dermis of the body wall
of echinoderms. They provide rigidity and
protection. It acts as endoskeleton. In sea stars they
are immovable.
• Water vascular system or ambulacral system- A
system of water circulation, in which sea water
enters the body through the madreporite and after
circulating through a definite route, leaves the body
through the tube feet.
• Function of water vascular system-
• It is used for locomotion, capture and transport
of food, respiration and waste removal too.
• Sea stars show autotomy- an arm is shed with
part of the central disc attached which
eventually grows a new set of arms.
• Autotomy is used for defence as well as a form
of asexual reproduction.
• Autotomy- the casting off of a part of the body
by an animal under threat.
• Economic importance- sea stars are dried and
added to soil as a source of calcium.
• Some sea stars are edible.
• Phylum echinodermata is divided into 5
classes-
Class 1. Asteroidea( Greek aster=star;eidos=like)
• Body- star-shaped with 5 radiating arms
• Arms- hollow containing gonads, gut, coelom
and other visceral organs
• Larva- bipinnaria and brachiolaria
• Eg. Sea stars
Class 2. Ophiuroidea( Greek. Ophis=snake;
aura=tail; eidos=like)
• Body-flattened with central disc and 5
elongated slender and flexible arms.
• Arms-solid without open ambulacral
grooves ,gonads and visceral organs.
• Larva- ophiopluteus
• Eg. Brittle stars
Class-3 Echinoidea( Greek. Echinos=hedgehog;
eidos=like)
• Body- oval or heart-shaped or globular or disc-
like
• Arms – absent
• Larva-echinopluteus
• Eg. Sea urchins
Class 4. Holothuroidea (Greek. Holothurion=sea
cucumber; eidos=like)
• Body-cylindrical and elongated in oral-aboral
axis.
• Arms and ambulacral groove absent
• Larva- auricularia
• Eg. Sea cucumbers
Class 5. Crinoidea ( Greek. Krinon=lily;
eidos=like)
• Spines-absent
• Tubefeet and madreporite-absent
• Larva- doliolaria
• Eg. Sea feathers
 Sea urchin
• The gonads of sea urchin are edible.
• Aristotle’s lantern- a complete structure
composed of 5 jaws made up of calcium
plates. The plates are connected by muscles. It
is used to scrape algae off rocks and other
surfaces, as well as biting and chewing prey.
+
 Sea cucumber
• Sea cucumbers show eviceration- a method of
autotomy involving the ejection of internal
organs used by animals as a defensive
strategy.
• Sea cucumbers have been used as a food
source and medicinal ingredient in Asian
countries for centuries.
• Examples of echinodermata-
Asterias(sea star), Echinus(sea urchin),
Antedon(sea lily),Cucumaria(sea cucumber),
Ophiuria(brittle star).
 Phylum- hemichordata
• (Greek. Hemi=half; chorda=rod or string)
• Also known as halfchordates or prechordates
• They live in solidary or in colonies
• They are worm like marine animals
• Live in ‘U’ shaped burrows
• Organ system level of organisation
• Bilaterally symmetrical
• Triploblastic
• Coelomate
• Example- Balanoglossus and Saccoglossus
• Body divided into- Proboscis, collar and trunk
• Pharynx is perforated by gill slits
• Proboscis- help in excretion.
• Stomochord- Flexible hollow tube that arises from
embryonic gut during embryonic development.
• Circulatory system-open type
• Respiratory system- branchial respiration(gills)
• Sexes separate
• Fertilization external
• Development indirect- tornaria larva for some
species
• Excretory organ- proboscis gland
• Circulatory system- open type but they have
blood vessels and blood comes out of the open
space called lacuna instead of sinus
• They do not possess a tail
• Iodoform- a foul smelling compound released
by the hemichordates when threatened.
 Phylum-chordates
• General characteristics of chordates-
1. Presence of notochord(provide skeletal
support)
2. Presence of dorsal hollow nerve chord(it
forms the brain and spinal cord)
3. Presence of paired pharyngeal gill slits( they
are openings in the pharynx that develop into
gill arches in the bony fishes and into jaws and
inner ear in terrestrial animals.)
4. Presence of post anal tail( muscular region of the body
that extends posterior to the anus)
5.Bilaterally symmetrical
6.Triploblastic
7.Coelomate
8.Organ system level of organisation
9.Circulatory system-closed type
10.Digestive system-complete
11.Ventral heart- heart lies ventral to alimentary canal
12.Respiratory pigment- haemoglobin
Sub-phylum urochordata/tunicata
• Also known as tunicata because they have a tunic
• Urochordates- because they have notochord in tail region
only.
• They are bag-like, sessile and degenerated animals( to
become less specialiazed).
• Notochord and nerve cord are present in the tail of larva
and are lost during metamorphosis.This is called
retrogressive metamorphosis.
• Body is covered with test/tunic(functions as external
skeleton which supports and protects their body). Tunic is
made of tunicin.
• They have well developed heart and
circulatory system.
• Open circulatory system.
• Tube within a tube body plan.
• Development- indirect
• Excretion by neural glands.
• Water enters from the incurrent siphon and leaves
from the atrial aperture.
• Larval stage- ascidian tadpole larva in Ascidia
• Eg. Tailed ascidian: Oikopleura and tailless
ascidians:Herdmania(sea squirt), Ascidia, Salpa,
Doliolum
• Hermaphrodite and sexually reproduce by cross
fertilization.
• In sea squirt the same gonad first acts as testis and
then as ovary.
 Sub-phylum cephalochordata
• (Greek. Cephalic=head; chorda=rod)
• They are fish-like marine animals
• Notochord present throughout the life
• Tubular nerve cord- present
• Numerous gill slits present
• Tail persists throughout life and bears a caudal fin.
Dorsal and anal fin are also present.
• They are considered as blueprints(exact copy) of
chordates
• Eg. Amphioxus or lancelet( Branchiostoma)
• Digestive system complete.
• Circulatory system- closed type
• No heart
• Respiration- through general body surface.
• Gill slits are used for feeding rather than
respiration.
• Excretion by protonephridia with solanocytes.
• Development- indirect with free swimming larva.
Lancelet