Benthic Marine Life Flashcards
- organisms live by burrowing into seafloor material.
Infaunal
-sponges, very primitive, sessile filter feeders
Phylum Porifera
- jellyfish, sea anemones, coral, may have medusa or polyp forms.
Phylum Cnidaria
-stinging cells found in jellyfish, sea anemone, corals
Cnidocytes
-jellyfish
Medusae
-sessile, may have mutualistically relationship with crustaceans
Sea anemones (polyps)
Often planktonic until they settle into a hard surface where they transform into polyps.
Coral (polyps)
-often resemble small delicate coral, but are not closely related. Many will attach to the surface of other organisms such as clams.
Bryozoa
-often resemble clams but are mostly closely related to bryzoans. Most are extinct
Brachiapods
What are the three types of mollusk?
Bivalves
Gastropods
Cephalopods
- clams oysters and mussels , few can move through water, both epifaunal and Infaunal. Some have eyes that detect light and motion.
Bivalves
-most diverse group of mollusks, snails, limpets, sea slugs, inhabit most ecologic niches
Gastropods
- squid, nautilus, Octopi, cannot tolerate fresh water, most have very well developed eyes.
Cephalopods
T/F enchinoderms are immune from surface climate change
True
-common everywhere, all have fivefold radial symmetry , all strictly marine, no fresh water varieties. Ex: sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumber, sea urchins and sand dollars
Enchinoderms
