The infinite variety: the beginning of life
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Sea Walnuts 
Mnemiopsis mccradyi Image Source: http://faculty.shc.edu/cchester/Bio499/ctenophora.htm Venus's Girdle Venus's Girdle 
Pleurobrachia Image Source: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artmay04/wavenus.html One best known Ctenophores are the Comb jellies are voracious marine predators, feeding mostly on plankton. Ctenophores are mainly composed of inert mesoglea, which causes them to have a low rate of metabolism. Many species are bioluminescent. The name comb jelly comes from eight "comb rows" of fused cilia, called ctenes, which are arranged laterally along the sides of the animal and used primarily for locomotion. The ctenes of the ctenophores gives rise to a rainbow-like effect that is caused by scattering of light due to the beating of cilia, not because of bioluminescence. The ctenophores are hermaphroditic, and some species can reproduce asexually. Most ctenophores have two long tentacles, but some lack tentacles completely. The tentacles have adhesive structures called colloblasts, or lasso cells. These cells burst open when prey comes in contact with the tentacle. Sticky threads released from each of the colloblasts will then capture the food. Some species have their entire body surface covered with sticky mucus that captures prey. There are about 100 modern species of these marine animals. One of the most familiar genera of ctenophore is Mnemiopsis. Due to their soft and fragile bodies, the fossil record for comb jellies is poor. One possible ctenophore is known from the Middle Cambrian period. Coral
Anthozoa 
Actinodiscus sp. Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Anthozoa Ehrenberg, 1831 Orders Subclass Alcyonaria (Octocorallia) Alcyonacea - Soft corals Gorgonacea - sea fan,sea feather Helioporacea Pennatulacea - sea pen, sea pansy Stolonifera Telestacea Subclass Ceriantipatharia Antipatharia - black coral, thorny coral Ceriantharia - tube-dwelling anemone Subclass Hexacorallia Actiniaria - Sea anemone Scleractinia - stony coral Subclass Zoantharia Corallimorpharia Ptychodactiaria Rugosa† Zoanthidea - zoanthid † Extinct Corals1
Corals 
Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Download 2.01 Mb. Share with your friends:
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