With over 2 million species, Kingdom Animalia is the largest of
the kingdoms in terms of its species diversity. But when you think
of an "animal", what image comes to mind? While mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and fish are the most familiar to us, the
vast majority of animals have a far different form. The animal
kingdom is divided into two major categories:
I.Vertebrates-Vertebrates are organisms that have a backbone, which
is to say that they have a series of vertebrae bones joined
together around a central nerve bundle. II.Invertebrates- Animals
that do not have a backbone. In fact, they dont have bone at
all.
This slide shows how the number of species of invertebrates
compares to all other forms of life. What types of animals do you
see in the invertebrates section?
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I. Invertebrates A. Porifera- All animals are multicellular,
heterotrophic organisms. Most have the ability to move (motility).
Most have organs or the very early stages of organs that take care
of various bodily functions. So it comes as a surprise to most
people to learn that the simplest of all animals doesnt really seem
much like an animal at all. The simplest of all animals is. The
sponge.
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Here are some of the characteristics of sponges: They are
filter feeders. They siphon seawater through small holes (pores)
and filter out bits of organic material. Sponges must get their
food from their environment, a characteristic of animals and
animal-like protozoans. Most are marine species They are sessile
(meaning attached to something, immobile) They lack tissues, hence
they have no muscles, nervous systems, or other internal organs.
They are generally hollow in the middle to aid in filtration. The
can be described as being a tube within a tube. Sponges can
reproduce asexually (by budding or from fragments) or sexually.
Sponges produce eggs and sperm that are released into a central
cavity of the sponge, in which the zygote develops into a ciliated
larva. The larval stage is able to move about while the adult is
stationary. Sponges generally grow slowly and come in a wide
variety of sizes and colors
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLr- _L5HuhU
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The giant barrel sponge can grow, well, giant! How big? Its
hard to tell from these pictures, so lets add something for
perspective.
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Open wide and say aaaah.
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Sponges grow slowly, so using real sponges is often
discouraged.
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Bell Ringer/Closing 1.Why are sponges classified as animals
rather than in some other phylum such as Protista, Plantae, or
Fungi? Quite Simply, sponges are made up of animal cells. They are
also capable of creating animal reproduction cells (sperm and
eggs.) 2. What is the difference between a vertebrate animal and an
invertebrate? Vertebrates have a backbone. Invertebrates do
not.
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B. Cnidarians - stinging celled aquatic animals. Cnidarians are
aquatic animals that have tentacles tipped with stinging cells
known as nematocysts. Most cnidarians have an attached or sessile
form known as a polyp and a free floating form known as a medusa.
The most common cnidarians are 1. sea anemones 2. jellyfish 3.
coral 4. freshwater hydra
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Most cnidarians are primarily predatory feeders. The stinging
cells (nematocysts) on the tips of their tentacles stun small
aquatic animals. The stunned animal is then swept into the body
cavity where it is digested. Some species of sea anemones and most
corals, though, have another way of getting food. Tiny unicellular
algae live embedded in the tissue of the coral. The algae produce
food and share it with the anemones, and in turn the coral get
protection. This is a mutualistic relationship as both organisms
benefit. Because of this, nearly all corals are found in shallow,
clear, warm (tropical or subtropical) waters.
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Sea Anemones
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Have you seen my dad?
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2. Jellyfish - In many species, both the adult and the immature
stages of jellyfish are the bell-shaped medusa. Jellyfish mostly
move where the current moves them, though they can oscillate their
bodies and move up and down in the water column. Jellyfish have the
most powerful nematocysts of the cnidarians, and several species
can cause severe injury to humans. Death from jellyfish stings are
rare, and usually result from anaphylactic shock-similar to the
reaction people who are allergic to bees get when stung.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJUuotjE3u8
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During certain times of year, certain jellyfish species will
swarm to mate. This can present a serious risk to swimmers.
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Although some jellyfish can grow to an enormous size, it is one
of the smaller species that causes the most painful injuries
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The Box Jellyfish (Sea Wasp) found in the waters off east Asia
pack the biggest wallop.
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Most cnidarians can reproduce asexually (usually budding of
small medusa) or sexually by releasing sperm and eggs into the
water. Some species are hermaphroditic, meaning they are able to
produce both sperm and eggs. Freshwater hydra life cycle. Coral
reproduce similarly, though in some species the polyps are able to
release sperm or eggs too or instead of medusa. Sea Anemone
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Extension Reading: The Most Dangerous Jellyfish on Earth Sea
Wasps, or box jellies, are not aggressive. They don't have to be.
For jellyfish, they are pretty fast swimmers (up to 5mph), dangling
their long tentacles in the surf behind them until something,
usually a fish, gets caught in their practically invisible
tentacles. That's where all their nematocysts (stinging capsules
contained within cells called cnidocytes located along the
tentacles) are located. (Most people who have been stung are
Aussies who were swimming in the surf along with the jellies and
never even saw the tentacles.) The poison is used to kill their
prey as close to "instant" as possible in order to prevent a
struggling victim from thrashing their delicate tissues. Makes
sense. Then they can take their time devouring their meal without
risking injury to themselves. What's really amazing is how the
stinging cells work. They're little tiny poison darts that are
buried inside the flesh of each tentacle (like the sweat glands in
your skin), along the entire length. They're triggered chemically,
by contacting the surface of human skin or the scaly skin of a
fish. Not everyone who has been stung by a Sea Wasp has died, but
those who didn't may have wished they had. The sting from a box
jelly is said to be excruciatingly painful. It can cause nausea,
vomiting and breathing problems. The Aussies have developed an
antivenom (something to counteract the toxic effects of the jelly's
venom). Doesn't do you a whole lotta good if you got stung so badly
while you were out in the water and then couldn't even make it back
to shore. But, you really need to get tangled up good (contacting
at least 10 feet of tentacle) in order to experience its ultimate
effect - death.swimmersfisswimminginjurybreathing problems
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Portuguese Man-O-War is NOT a true jellyfish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTgLTbXJrfM
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3. Corals (extension information) Corals are skeletal remains
of marine organisms that exist as small sea anemone-like polyps,
typically in colonies of many identical individuals. The group
includes the important reef builders that are found in tropical
oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. A
coral "head", commonly perceived to be a single organism, is
actually formed of thousands of individual but genetically
identical polyps, each polyp only a few millimeters in diameter.
Over thousands of generations, the polyps lay down a unique
skeleton that is characteristic of their particular species. Coral
can reproduce asexually by budding, producing genetically identical
polyps or through sexual reproduction. Remember that although coral
having stinging tentacles for catching food, many species also
maintain a symbiotic relationship with a particular type of marine
algae that lives in the coral. The algae gets protection while the
coral shares the food made by the algae. Review: What type of
symbiotic relationship is this if BOTH species benefit? If the
coral has a symbiotic relationship with algae, what type of water
conditions and depths would expect to find coral in?
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Hydra budding. Similar in corals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=489CSop00sY&playnext=1&list=PLA332A599158
B4A14&feature=results_video
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Corals can also reproduce sexually by releasing sperm and eggs
into the water. This spawning period is usually synchronized along
the entire length of a reef system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsaZ8-I7akg
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Coral reefs are some of the most productive areas of the
oceans. They are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea
because of the vast number of species of organisms living on or
near the reefs. Like estuaries (coastal marsh regions where rivers
flow into the ocean), coral reefs are nurseries for many species of
marine animals and they offer coastal regions protection against
damage from storm waves.
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Coral reefs are highly sensitive to pollutants, changes in
salinity, changes in water temperature, increase in UV rays caused
by ozone thinning, and damage from watercraft, coral harvesters
(for the tourist trade) and recreational divers. Since coral is
enormously slow growing, any damage is long lasting and has a
significant effect on the overall ecosystem. Approximately 70% of
the worlds coral reefs have been destroyed, much of this by human
actions. How might this affect the human population, especially in
areas where the reefs have died?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN161yBBGA
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Brain Coral
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Fan Coral
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Florescent Coral (if time allows)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78de8IoRY0M
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Coral Bleaching
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Blue Planet Seas of Life Coral Seas
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Bell Ringer/Closing 1.What is the primary physical
characteristic of cnidarians? Stinging cells located on tentacles.
2. The attached form of cnidarians is known as a _______ polyp 4.
The bell-shaped, free floating form of cnidarians is known as
a______________ medusa 5. Explain the how coral reproduce
asexually. 6. Why must nearly all species of coral live in clear,
shallow, tropical waters? Most corals have a mutualistic
relationship with a type of algae that lives within the corals soft
tissue. This algae requires sunlight in order to carry out
photosynthesis. Water that is too deep and/or too cloudy would
block sunlight. 6. What important ecological role is served by
coral reefs? Coral reefs provide a temporary or permanent nursery
and living habitat for many species of marine animals and algae
(seaweed and some unicellular algae). Reefs and estuaries (marshy
areas where rivers empty into an ocean) have the most diverse
population of organisms of any marine ecosystem.
