Results for “phylum”

phylum

Taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class.

arthropod

Any member of the phylum Arthropoda, these being characterised by a (usually) chitinous exoskeleton and segmented body to which jointed appendages are attached in pairs. Arthropods include the insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, and extinct trilobites, and comprise the largest phylum in the animal kingdom.

Used in 3 profiles

Cnidaria

Phylum of aquatic organisms that includes the corals, jellyfishes, sea anemones, hydrae, etc., and characterised by possession of specialised venomous cells known as cnidocytes. Formerly included in the now-defunct phylum Coelenterata.

annelid

Member of the phylum Annelida which comprises a large group of segmented, usually elongate, worm-like invertebrates. Contains both earthworms and leeches among others.

Used in 1 profile

bryophyta

The plant phylum comprising mosses and liverworts. Members have no true roots, stem or leaves.

cnidarian

Any member of the phylum Cnidaria.

crustacean

Any member of the predominantly aquatic arthropod grouping Crustacea which currently contains almost 70,000 recognised species, including all crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. It's difficult to define their characteristics since the group is of arguable hierarchical status, generally regarded to represent either a Phylum or Subphylum.

Used in 421 profiles

cyanobacteria

Phylum of generally blue-green coloured bacteria, often confused with algae, that obtain their energy via photosynthesis and include unicellular and colonial species. Some species occur commonly in aquaria where they're normally regarded as pests.

Used in 21 profiles

formanifera

Phylum of amoeboid microorganisms and a common constituent of marine plankton.

infusoria

Collective term for certain members of the protozoan Phylum Ciliophora, of which it is considered a subclass in certain classification systems. Members naturally inhabit infusions of decomposing organic material and some are cultured by aquarists in order to feed very small fish fry. The name was formerly applied to a much larger group of aquatic microorganisms which also included some other protist groups and unicellular algae.

Used in 186 profiles

mollusc

Any member of the invertebrate phylum Mollusca.

Used in 27 profiles

Mollusca

Large, highly diverse invertebrate phylum. Members are difficult to define but generally possess a soft, unsegmented body, and often a shell or shell-like structure secreted by a mantle. Includes all bivalves, cephalopods, and gastropods.