Marine Animal Identification Quiz

Study Notes

Kingdom Animalia

Composed of multicellular, heterotrophic organisms whose cells do not have cell walls.
Organisms that cannot make their own food and must eat other living things to stay alive.

Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Vertebrates have a backbone or spinal column (vertebral column).
Examples of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Invertebrates do not have a backbone or vertebral column.
Over 90% of all animals on Earth are invertebrates.

Invertebrates

Subdivided into almost 30 different phyla.
First type of animal to evolve.
Over 1.3 million different species.

Phylum Porifera

Contains the organisms commonly known as sponges.
Sponges are predominantly sessile, meaning they are immobile.
Sponges are filter-feeders.

Phylum Coelenterata (Cnidaria)

Contains "stinging organisms" with specialized stinging cells called cnidocytes.
Examples: jellyfish, corals, sea anemone, and microscopic organisms known as hydra.
Coelenterates have a simple gastro-vascular system.

Phylum Ctenophora

Contains the comb jellies.
Comb jellies use beautiful comb-like cilia to swim and move.
They look very similar to jellyfish, but do not have cnidocytes.

Phylum Platyhelminthes

Contains the flatworms.
Flatworms were the first to display bilateral symmetry.
They have a central nervous system and a very small and simple "brain".
Examples: Planaria, which can regenerate.

Phylum Nemertea

Contains the ribbon worms.
Ribbon worms are often round and very thin.
They can eject a long, sticky, highly-branched proboscis from their head.

Phylum Rotifera

Contains microscopic aquatic organisms.
Rotifers get their name from a circle of cilia surrounding their mouths.
They are usually only 50 µm to 2 mm long.

Phylum Gastrotricha

Consists of another type of worm-like, microscopic animals.
Gastrotichs are aquatic, and some live in fresh water and others are marine.

Other Phyla

Phylum Nematomorpha: contains horsehair worms or hairsnakes.
Phylum Nematoda: contains the roundworms.
Phylum Acanthocephala: contains parasitic spiny-headed worms.
Phylum Bryozoa: contains animals that resemble clumps of moss.
Phylum Tardigrada: contains microscopic water bears.
Phylum Brachiopoda: contains species with a unique structure called a lophophore.
Phylum Mollusca: contains mollusks, with a soft, squishy body called a visceral mass.
Phylum Annelida: contains segmented worms.
Phylum Sipunculoidea: contains peanut worms.
Phylum Chaetognatha: contains arrow worms.
Phylum Echinodermata: contains sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.
Phylum Hemichordata: contains acorn worms.
Phylum Arthropoda: contains arachnids, insects, and crustaceans.

Examples of Invertebrates

Worms: flatworms, ribbon worms, horsehair worms, etc.
Sponges: yellow tube sponge, purple vase sponge, etc.
Cnidarians: Lion's Mane Jellyfish, brain coral, sea anemone, etc.
Echinoderms: red-knobbed sea star, sand dollar, purple sea urchin, etc.
Mollusks: snails, slugs, clams, oysters, octopuses, squids, etc.
Arthropods: crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crawfish, pillbugs, spiders, scorpions, ticks, etc.

Description

Test your knowledge of marine animals by identifying different species based on their descriptions and characteristics. From sea anemones in the Cnidaria phylum to sand dollars in the Echinodermata phylum, this quiz will challenge your marine biology knowledge.