Caudofoveata is a small

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differently ...

within the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature ...

Mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is est ...

a, also known as Chaetodermomorpha. The class is often combined with Solenogastres and termed

Aplacophora Aplacophora is a presumably paraphyletic taxon. This is a class of small, deep-water, exclusively benthic, marine molluscs found in all oceans of the world. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Aplacophora. Accessed through: World Register of ...

, but some studies have cast doubt on the monophyly of this group.

Anatomy

Caudofoveata are small (1–30 mm), mainly deep sea molluscs. They are worm-like, lacking shells or distinct muscular feet; they instead have scales and calcareous spines called

sclerite A sclerite (Greek , ', meaning " hard") is a hardened body part. In various branches of biology the term is applied to various structures, but not as a rule to vertebrate anatomical features such as bones and teeth. Instead it refers most commonly ...

s, for movement.

Ecology

Caudofoveates live by burrowing through soft sediment, and feed by lying vertically in the sediment with just the mouthparts exposed and taking in passing organic detritus. During

sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote th ...

, the female produces eggs which are fertilized and brooded, and then the larvae swim freely.

Diet

Caudofoveates feed on

foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...

Taxonomy

Caudofoveata comprises the following families and genera: * Chaetodermatidae ** '' Caudofoveatus'' ** '' Chaetoderma'' * Falcidentidae ** '' Chaetoderma'' ** '' Falcidens'' ** '' Furcillidens'' * Limifossoridae ** '' Limifossor'' * Metachaetodermatidae ** '' Metachaetoderma'' * Prochaetodermatidae ** '' Chevroderma'' ** '' Claviderma'' ** '' Lonchoderma'' ** '' Niteomica'' ** '' Prochaetoderma'' ** '' Spathoderma'' * Scutopodidae ** '' Psilodens'' ** '' Scutopus'' There are 15 genera, with about 150 known species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1141060 Aplacophorans Mollusc classes