PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA
CHARACTERISTICS
- Radial symmentry
- Several arms (5 or more,mostly grouped 2 left-1 middle-2 right)radiating from a central body.
- Body consist of equal segments,each containing a duplicate of various internal organs.
- no brain nor heart
- with eyespots on each arm
- mouth situated on the underside and anus on the top(except feathers stars,sea cucumber and some urchins).
- contains tube feet with suction pads controlled by water vascular system.
- some are carnivorous while others are detritus foragers
- reproduction is through release of sperms and egg into the water
- capable of regeneration and fragmentation.
TYPES OF ECHINODERMS
- Class Asteroidea
- Class Ophiurodea
- Class Echinoidea
- Class Holothuroidea
- Class Crinoidea
1.CLASS ASTEROIDEA
- Carnivorous and feed on sponges and mollusks some are specialized feeders.(crown of thorns)
- doesn't have hard mouth parts to help them capture prey
- one of the largest and the most venomous starfish
- size reaches up to 50cm. in diameter
- 10-20 spiny arms with formidable thorn like toxic spines
- feed on coral polyps
- Predators: Triton shell and some puffer fish
CROWN OF THORNS (ACANTHASTER PLANCI) |
2.CLASS OPHIUROIDEA
- close relatives of sea stars
- have five snakelike arms which highly flexible
- no replication on internal organs,just one set in the central disk
- smaller central disk and no anus
- arms of brittle stars are fragile. (defense mechanism)
- most active and fastest moving echinoderms
- feed on plankton but also on detritus
SERPENT STARS |
3.CLASS ECHINOIDEA
- external chitinous skeleton and a centrally located jaw
- some have spherical bulb like cloaca
- movable spines are attached to the body,some are venomous
4.CLASS HOLOTHUROIDEA
- dont have radial symmetry but are bilateral
- cucumber shaped with elongated muscular,flexible body with mouth at one end anus on the other
- tentacles present in mouth for food collection
- feed on rich organic film coating sandy surfaces
- crawl over the bottom and ingest sand
- move by means of tube feet
- releases its digestive tract when threatened (defense mechanism)
5.CLASS CRINOIDEA
- radial symmetry
- cup-shaped body
- numerous feathery arms project from a central disc
- have 5 up to 200 arms(pinnules)
- nocturnal
- usually cling to sponges
FEATHER STARS
Reporters:
⚬Ma. Fe Camacho
⚬Merielette Joven
⚬Florencio Angcay
|