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Invertebrate Zoology > Phylum Cnidarians > Flashcards

Phylum Cnidarians Flashcards

1
Q

What Subphylums are within Phylum Cnidaria?

A
  1. Subphylum Medusozoa
  2. Subphylum Anthozoa
  3. Subphylum Endocnidozoa
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2
Q

What classes are within Subphylum Medusozoa?

A
  1. Class Hydrozoa
  2. Class Scyphozoa
  3. Class Cubozoa
  4. Class Staurozoa
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3
Q

What classes are within Subphylum Anthozoa?

A

Class Anthozoa

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4
Q

What classes are within Subphylum Endocnidozoa?

A
  1. Class Polypodiozoa
  2. Class Myxozoa
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5
Q

What are the universal characteristics of Cnidarians?

A
  • have tissue
  • do not have organs
  • have two germ layers (diploblastic)
  • Polyp and/or Medusa body type
  • have cnidae in the mesoglea
  • form colonies by asexual reproduction
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6
Q

What are Cnidarians synapomorphy?

A
  • The polyp form
  • Planula Larvae
  • stinging organelles
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7
Q

Explain the basic structure of a Cnidarian.

A

Cnidarians have two germ layers: ectoderm and endoderm

The ectoderm contains the epidermis which is the outer layer of the organism. A mesoglea fluid layer is a gelatinous fluid between the ectoderm and the endoderm. The endoderm contains the gastrodermis, the inner layer surrounding the gastrovascular cavity.

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8
Q

Explain the basic life cycle of Cnidarians.

A
  1. The cnidarian starts out as an egg
  2. The egg grows into a planula
  3. The planula develops into a planula larva
  4. The larva forms into a polyp form
  5. the polyp grows to flatten and forms into a medusa
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9
Q

What are cnidocytes and how are the relevant to Cnidarians?

A

Cnidocytes are cells located within the epidermis that are used for feeding and protection

  • They are in favor of Cnidarians because these cells are specific to this phylum and allow for Cnidarians to withhold stinging organelles, such as nematocysts.
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10
Q

What are Nematocysts and describe the process of how these cells are used.

A

Nematocysts are stinging cells within cnidocytes. These cells allow for protection against predators or any other invasive factors.

The process begins with the cnidocil detecting movement and the nematocyst attaching and injecting venom into the attacker.

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11
Q

Describe the feeding biology of Cnidarians

A
  • carnivores
  • could be parasitic
  • Cnidarians use their tentacles to capture prey and grab food
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12
Q

Describe the digestion biology of Cnidarians

A
  • Cnidarians use their oral arms to grab and digest food
  • Cnidarians have a coelenteron (inside the gastrovascular cavity) that accounts for digestion and circulation
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13
Q

Describe the reproduction biology of Cnidarians

A
  • could be Dioecious (meaning only one sex per organism)
  • could be monoecious (meaning could have two sexes per organism)
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14
Q

Describe the nervous system of Cnidarians

A
  • Cnidarians have a nerve net but no brain or central nervous system
  • Cnidarians have sensory organs which are statocysts (used for equilibrium) and ocelli (used for photosynthesis)
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15
Q

Describe the skeletal system in Cnidarians

A
  • Cnidarians have fluids within the mesoglea and gastrovascular cavity that act as a hydrostatic skeleton
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16
Q

What are reproduction processes of Cnidarians?

A
  1. medusa budding
  2. polyp budding
  3. non-ciliated plannulalike buds
17
Q

Describe the characteristics in Class Hydrozoans

A
  • have individual zooids (gastrozooids, gonozooids)
  • have two body forms: polyp, medusa
  • could process through sexual or asexual reproduction
  • most develop in colonies (polyp colony stage)
  • sessile
  • epidermal gonads
18
Q

Describe the characteristics of Scyphozoans

A
  • have two body forms: polyp, medusa
  • have a THICK mesoglea
  • have rhopalia (the sensory structure that senses light with the ocelli cells and has statocysts)
  • has oral arms for feeding AND locomotion
19
Q

Describe the life cycle of Scyphozoans

A
  1. the planula larvae searches and attaches to a substrate
  2. the planula larvae grow to a polyp and continue to grow
  3. the polyp strobilates into a bigger structure
  4. once big enough, the medusa pops off and swims off
20
Q

Examples of Scyphozoans?

A
  • True jellies
  • Moon jellies
21
Q

Describe the characteristics of Cubozoans.

A
  • have medusa and polyp body forms
  • mostly tropical species
  • have a thick mesoglea
  • have a “bell” which is the structure of the body
  • have a velum, which protects the bottom of the bell
  • have rhopalia (but is more advanced due to larger corneas, lenses, and retinas)
22
Q

Examples of Cubozoans?

A
  • box jellies
  • sea wasps
23
Q

Describe the characteristics of Anthozoans

A
  • only have a polyp form
  • all marine species
  • some species contain zooxanthellae
  • colonies are formed by individual zooids
  • have both asexual and sexual reproduction
24
Q

Describe the characteristics of sea annemones

A
  • predatory
  • do not have a medusa stage
  • cnidocyte cells are used for feeding and defending
  • nourishment of the organism come from within the organism (dinoflagellates, zooxanthellae)
  • have acontia fibers that support the skeletal system (mesenchyme)
  • have a symbiotic relationship with clown fish
  • have venous toxins to paralyze prey
25
Q

Describe the characteristics of corals

A
  • either soft or hard bodied
  • no solid exoskeleton
  • calcium carbonate acts as the skeleton (makes up the outside)
  • the largest group within the Anthozoans
  • colonial
  • have 4 different morphologies: patch, atoll, barrier, and fringe

Invertebrate Zoology (7 decks)

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