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Hydrozoa
Hydrozoa (hydrozoans; from Ancient Greek ('; "water") and ('; "animals")) is a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class (biology), class of individually very small, predatory animals, some solitary and some colonial, most of which inhabit saline water. The colony (biology), colonies of the colonial species can be large, and in some cases the specialized individual animals cannot survive outside the colony. A few genus, genera within this class live in freshwater ecosystem, freshwater habitats. Hydrozoans are related to jellyfish and corals, which also belong to the phylum (biology), phylum Cnidaria. Some examples of hydrozoans are the freshwater jelly (''Craspedacusta sowerbyi''), freshwater polyps (''Hydra (genus), Hydra''), ''Obelia'', Portuguese man o' war (''Physalia physalis''), chondrophores (Porpitidae), and pink-hearted hydroids (''Tubularia''). Anatomy Most hydrozoan species include both a polyp (zoology), polypoid and a medusa (biology), medusoid stage in their Biological ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cnidaria
Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantly the latter), including jellyfish, hydroid (zoology), hydroids, sea anemones, corals and some of the smallest marine parasites. Their distinguishing features are an uncentralized nervous system distributed throughout a gelatinous body and the presence of cnidocytes or cnidoblasts, specialized cells with ejectable flagella used mainly for envenomation and capturing prey. Their bodies consist of mesoglea, a non-living, jelly-like substance, sandwiched between two layers of epithelium that are mostly one cell (biology), cell thick. Cnidarians are also some of the few animals that can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Cnidarians mostly have two basic body forms: swimming medusa (biology), medusae and sessility (motility), sessile polyp (zoology), polyps, both of which are radially symmetrical with mou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jellyfish
Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals, although a few are anchored to the seabed by stalks rather than being motile. They are made of an umbrella-shaped main body made of mesoglea, known as the ''bell'', and a collection of trailing tentacles on the underside. Via pulsating contractions, the bell can provide propulsion for animal locomotion, locomotion through open water. The tentacles are armed with cnidocyte, stinging cells and may be used to capture prey or to defend against predators. Jellyfish have a complex biological life cycle, life cycle, and the medusa is normally the sexual phase, which produces planula larvae. These then disperse widely and enter a sedentary #Life cycle, polyp phase which may include asexual budding before reaching sexual maturity. Jellyfish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydroidolina
Hydroidolina is a subclass of Hydrozoa and makes up 90% of the class. Controversy surrounds who the sister groups of Hydroidolina are, but research has shown that three orders remain consistent as direct relatives: Siphonophorae, Anthoathecata, and Leptothecata. Description and background The phylum Cnidaria contains two clades: Anthozoa and Medusozoa. There are around 3800 species within the clade Medusozoa and it consists of Cubozoans, Scyphozoans, and Hydrozoans. Hydroidolina are small predatory animals, ranging in 8-30 millimeters in size, exhibiting radial symmetry and are Diploblasty, diploblastic (developed from two embryonic layers: ectoderm and endoderm). The classification below is based on the World Register of Marine Species: Subclass Hydroidolina * Order Anthoathecata * Order Leptothecata * Order Siphonophorae Distribution Hydroidolina are commonly found in a variety of marine environments across the world such as deepwater caves or brackish and fresh shallow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leptothecata
Leptothecata, or thecate hydroids, are an order of hydrozoans in the phylum Cnidaria. Their closest living relatives are the athecate hydroids, which are similar enough to have always been considered closely related, and the very apomorphic Siphonophorae, which were placed outside the "Hydroida". Given that there are no firm rules for synonymy for high-ranked taxa, alternative names like Leptomedusa, Thecaphora or Thecata, with or without the ending emended to "-ae", are also often used for Leptothecata. In the sessile stage, Leptothecata are surrounded by a chitinous outer layer as their exoskeleton, including the gonophores, their reproductive organ. Leptothecata exhibit radial symmetry, and their gonads can be found in the radial canals of the medusa stage. Their habits range from benthic to planktonic. The polyps and colonial forms are benthic, whilst the medusae are planktonic. Leptothecata exhibit extensive, complex variation. Thecata colonies also have extensive specia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siphonophorae
Siphonophorae (from Ancient Greek σίφων (siphōn), meaning "tube" and -φόρος (-phóros), meaning "bearing") is an order within Hydrozoa, a class of marine organisms within the phylum Cnidaria. According to the World Register of Marine Species, the order contains 175 species described thus far. Siphonophores are highly polymorphic and complex organisms. Although they may appear to be individual organisms, each specimen is in fact a colonial organism composed of medusoid and polypoid zooids that are morphologically and functionally specialized. Zooids are multicellular units that develop from a single fertilized egg and combine to create functional colonies able to reproduce, digest, float, maintain body positioning, and use jet propulsion to move. Most colonies are long, thin, transparent floaters living in the pelagic zone. Like other hydrozoans, some siphonophores emit light to attract and attack prey. While many sea animals produce blue and green biolumines ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthoathecata
Anthoathecata, or the athecate hydroids, are an order of hydrozoans belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. A profusion of alternate scientific names exists for this long-known and heavily discussed group. It has also been called Gymnoblastea and (with or without an emended ending ''-ae''), Anthomedusa, Athecata, Hydromedusa, and Stylasterina. There are about 1,200 species worldwide.Schuchert, P. (2014). Anthoathecata. Accessed through: Schuchert, P. (2014) World Hydrozoa database at http://www.marinespecies.org/hydrozoa/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=13551 on 2014-10-31 These hydrozoans always have a polyp stage. Their hydranths grow either solitary or in colonies. There is no firm perisarc around the polyp body. The medusae, or jellyfish, are solitary animals, with tentacles arising from the bell margin, lacking statocysts but possessing radial canals. Their gonads are on the manubrium ("handle").Bouillon, J.; Gravili, C.; Pagès, F.; Gili, J.-M.; Boero, F. (2006). An introduction to H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narcomedusae
Narcomedusae is an order (biology), order of hydrozoans in the subclass Trachylinae. Members of this order do not normally have a polyp (zoology), polyp stage. The Medusa (biology), medusa has a dome-shaped bell with thin sides. The tentacles are attached above the lobed margin of the bell with usually a gastric pouch above each. There are no bulbs on the tentacles and no radial canals. Narcomedusans are mostly inhabitants of the open sea and deep waters. They can be found in the Mediterranean in large numbers. Narcomedusae are essential to the ecosystem as they are top-down regulators for the midwater environment. Feeding behavior Narcomedusae use their tentacles to catch large, fast-moving prey. They do this by holding their tentacles perpendicular to the direction they are swimming to cover a larger area. If something is caught they bend the tentacle inwards and coil them at the tips to their mouths. Reproductive features Narcomedusae are hermaphroditic, meaning that they h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obelia
''Obelia'' is a genus of hydrozoans, a class of mainly marine and some freshwater animal species that have both polyp and medusa stages in their life cycle. Hydrozoa belongs to the phylum Cnidaria, which are aquatic (mainly marine) organisms that are relatively simple in structure with a diameter around 1mm. There are currently 120 known species, with more to be discovered. These species are grouped into three broad categories: ''O. bidentata'', ''O. dichotoma'', and ''O. geniculata''. ''O. longissima'' was later accepted as a legitimate species, but taxonomy regarding the entire genus is debated over. ''Obelia'' is also called sea fur. ''Obelia'' has a worldwide distribution except the high-Arctic and Antarctic seas. and a stage of ''Obelia'' species are common in coastal and offshore plankton around the world.Cornelius, P.F.S., 1995b. North-West European thecate hydroids and their Medusae. Part 2. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series), No 50. ''Obelia'' are usual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trachylinae
Trachylinae (also Trachylina, Trachylinida, etc.) is a subclass of hydrozoans. It is placed at order rank in many older classifications, and limited to contain the Narcomedusae, Trachymedusae, the Actinulidae, then considered an independent order, and also the Limnomedusae which were traditionally placed in the paraphyletic " Hydroida". It is not entirely clear whether the Limnomedusae and the Trachymedusae as conventionally circumscribed are monophyletic The freshwater jelly '' Craspedacusta sowerbyi'' is a well-known member of the Limnomedusae and might thus belong here. Development Of the four orders: Narcomedusae, Trachymedusae, Actinulidae, and Limnomedusae, only Limnomedusae has any sort of polyp stage, and even then it is very tiny(less than 1mm) with no tentacles. This is uncommon for other jellyfish under the phylum cnidaria. These jellyfish also tend to have fewer cells during their embryonic and larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portuguese Man O' War
The Portuguese war (''Physalia physalis''), also known as the man-of-war or bluebottle, is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is the only species in the genus ''Physalia'', which in turn is the only genus in the family Physaliidae. The name ''man o’ war'' comes from the man-of-war, a sailing warship, and the animal's resemblance to the Portuguese version (the caravel) at full sail. The man o' war are part of the neuston, organisms that live on the surface of the water. A gas-filled bladder provides buoyancy that lets the animal stay afloat on the surface of the water while tentacles which can be up to165 ft (9 to 50 m) long hang below the surface, containing venomous Cnidocyte, cnidocytes that help capture prey. The cnidocytes can deliver a sting powerful enough to kill fish, and even, in some cases, humans. A sail on the bladder, which may be left or right-handed, propels it about the sea, often in groups. Although it superficially resembl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chondrophore
The chondrophores or porpitids are a small group of hydrozoans in the family Porpitidae. Though it derives from an outdated name for this lineage, some find the term ''chondrophore'' still useful as a synonym for members of the family Porpitidae – ''porpitids'' – when discussing the two genera contained in '' Porpita'' and ''Velella'', to avoid confusion with the near-identical genus name '' Porpita''. They all live at the surface of the open ocean, and are colonies of carnivorous, free-floating hydroids. The chondrophores look like a single organism, but are actually colonial animals, made up of orderly cooperatives of polyps living under specialized sail-structures. The colony's role in the plankton community is similar to that of pelagic jellyfish. The most familiar members of the family Porpitidae are the blue button ('' Porpita porpita'') and the by-the-wind sailor (''Velella velella''). Description The tiny individual animals are specialized to perform specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyp (zoology)
A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa (biology), medusa. Polyps are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the vase-shaped body. In solitary polyps, the aboral (opposite to oral) end is attached to the substrate (biology), substrate by means of a disc-like holdfast (biology), holdfast called a pedal disc, while in colony (biology), colonies of polyps it is connected to other polyps, either directly or indirectly. The oral end contains the mouth, and is surrounded by a circlet of tentacles. Classes In the class Anthozoa, comprising the sea anemones and corals, the individual is always a polyp; in the class Hydrozoa, however, the individual may be either a polyp or a medusa (biology), medusa, with most species undergoing a biological life cycle, life cycle with both a polyp stage and a medusa stage. In the class Scyphozoa, the medusa stage is dominant, and the polyp stage may or may not be present, depen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
