Schyphozoa: “cup”- refers to cup shape of these organisms.
Characteristics:
Examples:
Characteristics:
- 200 species
- Lack a velum, and instead move by contracting and then relaxing their muscles
- Free-swimming & sessile
- Posses water propulsion muscles
- Cup/bell shaped
- Has nematocyst
- Posses oral arms the follow behind the bell; can reach up to 40 meters
- Reproduce both asexually and sexually
- Have aquatic habitats in various places from arctic oceans to tropical oceans
- Live in shallow and deep waters
- Most scyphozoans live for approximately one year
Examples:
- Rhizostomeae
- Semaeostomeae
- Crown jellyfish(Coronatae)
- Rhizostoma pulmo
- Upside-down jellyfish(Cassiopea)
- Conulariida
- Bazinga
- Nemopilema
Anthozoa: “Flower animals”- refers to their floral appearance during the everlasting polyp stage.
Characteristics:
Examples:
Characteristics:
- Lacks medusa stage
- Largest class of Cnidarians consisting of 6,000 different species
- Form mutualistic relationships with other animal species
- Receive food from their partners
- Cylindrical
- Tentacles surrounding mouth
- Has nematocyst
- Sessile
- Reproduce sexually by releasing sperm and eggs which forms a planula, which attaches to a surface, where the cnidarian will then grow
- Reproduces asexually by budding
- Tropical aquatic habitat
- Live in shallow waters
- Live singly or in colonies
Examples:
- Sea anemone (Actiniaria)
- Scleractinia
- Alcyonacea
- Hexacorallia
- Zoanthids (Zoantharia)
- Sea pen (Pennatulacea)
- Black coral (Antipatharia)
- Rugosa
- Discosoma
- Brain coral (Faviidae)
- Tube-dwelling anemone(Ceriantharia)
- Inaria
Hydrozoa: “Sea serpent”- small predatory animals, some solitary and some colonial
Characteristics:
Examples:
Characteristics:
- Polyp and medusa body forms
- Urn-shaped
- Small in size
- Has nematocyst
- Medusa typically sexually reproduce
- Over 2,000 different species within this class
- Found in nearly every marine habitat
- Most hydrozoans have velum
- Reproduce sexually
- Reproduce asexually by budding
Examples:
- Siphonophorae
- Anthomedusae
- Leptomedusae
- Fire coral(Millepora)
- Aequorea
- Bougainvillia