Porifera (Sponges)

Cnidaria
(Jellyfish,Anemones,Hydra)

Platyhelminthes (Flatworms) Nematodes

Annelids (Earthworms)

Germ Layers

No true germ layers

2 germ layers: ectoderm >epidermis, endoderm ->

inner gastrodermis

3 germ layers: ectoderm,

mesoderm, endoderm

Three

3 germ layers: ecto-, meso-, 3 germ layers: ecto-,

endoderm
meso-, endoderm

3 germ layers: ecto-, meso-,

endoderm
3 germ layers: ecto-, meso-, endoderm

3 germ layers: ecto-, meso-,

endoderm

Symmetry

Asymmetrical or Radial

Radial, about the axis of the

mouth surface

Bilateral

Bilateral

Bilateral

Bilateral

Bilateral

Radial; but larvae bilateral

Bilateral

Present

limited cephalization in
nervous system

Mollusca (Squid)

Arthropoda (Grasshopper)

Echinodermata (Sea Urchin)

Chordata (Fishes, etc.)

Cephalization

None

None

some cephalization with

sensory, association, and
motor neurons

limited cephalization

extensive cephalization

none

extensive cephalization

Body Cavity

None

none other than gut

none

Pseudoceol

Coelom

Coelom

Coelom

Coelom

Coelom

Segmentation

none

none

none

Absent

Present

Absent

Present

Absent

Present (but reduced)

Mouth on oral surface leads to cardiac

stomach (everted during feeding), then
to pyloric stomach with hepatic
(digestive, pyloric) ceca extending into
each arm; short intestine with outbranching rectal ceca leads from pyloric
stomach to anus on aboral surface

Complete; pharynx with three

regions,
esophagus, stomach, small
intestine with three regions,
liver, pancreas, cecum, large
intestine

Suspension feeders
Specialized cells called
chaonocytes contain flagella
that produce a current
through pores in body;
chaonocytes ingest food by
phagocytosis Specialized
amoebocytes distribute food
Digestive System throughout body

Circulation

Respiration

GVC consists of mouth,

pharynx, and three branched
intestines; pharynx extends
tentacles gather food;
through mouth during
nutritive muscular cells engulf feeding and secrete digestive
partially digested food and
enzymes; muscular
specialized for filtering
transport to vacuoles for final contractions of pharynx pull Separate mouth complete system (mouth and small food particles from
digestion
food into mouth
and anus
anus)
water
complete system

chaonocytes contain flagella

that produce a current
Gastrovascular cavity (GVC);
moving water through pores Cilia lining cavity move fluid
in body
and food
Gastrovascular cavity (GVC) Absent

Closed circulatory system

(blood
contained within vessels);
dorsal
blood vessel and ring-like
hearts
contract rhythmically

Open circulatory system;

dorsal vessel carries
hemolymph anteriorly, into
cavities surrounding organs, Open circulatory system; poorly-defined channels
then flows posteriorly and
in coelomic cavity; lack heart; cilia associated with dorsal, hollow nerve cord; often
Open circulatory system back into dorsal vessel
water vascular system circulate coelomic fluid
protected by vertebrae

Diffusion

Use hemoglobin as
respiratory pigment
dissolved in blood (no red
blood cells)

Sinuses collect
hemolymph and transport
to ctenidia for gas
exchange

Air enters lateral spiracles,

through trachea, into
Gases diffuse via dermal branchiae; soluble
tracheoles throughout body; wastes released by simple diffusion across
no respiratory pigment
surface epithelium

Gills, functionally replaced by

lungs in higher vertebrates;
use blood to transport O2 and
CO2; respiratory pigment is
hemoglobin

Nitrogenous waste filtered by

pair of kidneys

Diffusion

Diffusion

Diffusion and out pores

Diffusion

Waste diffuses into

surrounding environment;
undigested food expelled out excretory gland empties into exterior by pore
of mouth
cells
in ventral wal

wastes excreted into

excurrent siphon by pair
of kidneys; some
ammonia eliminated by
ctenidia

Malpigian tubules at junction

of mid- and hind-gut function
in removal of nitrogenous
wastes from hemolymph in
coelom for transfer to
hindgut for excretion
no excretory glands

Nervous System

No cephalization or
specialized sensory cells

Primitive; forms irregular net

Responds to stimuli in a
coordinated fashion (outer
tentacle engulf while inner
tentacles contract); Limited
sensory capabilities

Organized like a ladder with

two lateral cords connected
by transverse cords;
pigmented eyespots but no
imaging

have giant nerve cells,

complex sensory system
with image forming eyes
and complex behavior

flattened, double, ventral

nerve cord; ganglia along
length of cord have strandlike nerves branching
outward

Reproduction

sperm released into water

current with internal
fertilization;some asexual

both sexual and asexual;

assexual: regeneration when
Hydra can be either dioecious cut; sexual: hermaphroditic sexual (somee Hermaphroditic with crossor hermaphroditic
with cross fertilization
hermaphroditic) fertilization

Sexual; dioecious

Sexual, dioecious; Male has

pair of testes, vas deferens,
accessory gland Female has Sexual; dioecious Gonads near base of each arm
pair of ovaries with 8
under hepatic ceca Some starfish can reproduce
ovarioles, accessory glands asexually by regeneration
Sexual; dioecious

Mesoglea: space between

epidermis and gastrodermis;
filled with extracellular matrix.
Functions like endoskeleton,
but is not considered cellular
layer

Hard exoskeleton; outer

organic layer rests on
layers of calcium
carbonate; exoskeleton
reduced or absent in
most cephalopods

Chitinous exoskeleton
secreted by underlying
epidermis; limits growth;
requires molting

Excretion

diverse elements depending

on types including
calcareous laminae, organic
filaments, and siliceous and
Support (Skeleton) calcium carbonate spicules;

Hydraulic skeleton gastrovascular fluid;

longitudinal and circular
muscles

Absent

head ganglia
with dorsal and connects to ventral nerve
ventral nerve
cord; nerves branch out to
cords
adjacent tissues

Hydrostatic
skeleton

Hydraulic skeleton coelomic cavity filled with

fluid

nerves distributed throughout arms and central

disk; no special sense organs (except starfish and
brittle stars have light-sensing eyes on end of
dorsal, hollow nerve cord; often
each arm)
protected by vertebrae

Calcareous endoskeleton made up of small plates Bony or cartilaginous

joined by connective tissue
endoskeleton