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Overview of Phylum Cnidaria

Phylum Cnidaria, known as 'nettle animals', includes approximately 9,000 aquatic species characterized by stinging cells and a tissue-level organization. They exhibit radial or biradial symmetry and have two main body forms: the sessile polyp and the mobile medusa. Cnidarians possess specialized cells called cnidocytes for capturing prey, have an incomplete digestive system, and reproduce both sexually and asexually through a life cycle involving a larval stage known as planula.

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82 views9 pages

Overview of Phylum Cnidaria

Phylum Cnidaria, known as 'nettle animals', includes approximately 9,000 aquatic species characterized by stinging cells and a tissue-level organization. They exhibit radial or biradial symmetry and have two main body forms: the sessile polyp and the mobile medusa. Cnidarians possess specialized cells called cnidocytes for capturing prey, have an incomplete digestive system, and reproduce both sexually and asexually through a life cycle involving a larval stage known as planula.

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jamen.s.thomas
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Phylum Cnidaria

“nettle animals”: animals with stinging cells


General Characteristics
• name comes from Cnidaria, the Greek word for
nettle, plant that has stinging hairs
• all aquatic (typically marine, but some
freshwater)
• sessile, free-floating, or weak swimming
• have a tissue-level organization
• have a primitive nervous system
• about 9,000 different types
• divided into 4 major classes
• Class Hydrozoa- hydra… fire corals
• Scyphoza- true jellyfish
• Cubozoa- Box Jelly
• Anthozoa- Sea anemone…coral
Body Symmetry
• generally considered radially
symmetrical
• like a wheel there are many
lines of symmetry
• some biradially symmetrical
• like radial symmetry but similar
parts are located to either side
of a central axis
• each of the four sides of the
body is identical to the
opposite side but different
from the adjacent side
Body Plan
ORAL (TOP)

• bodies are organized around the MOUTH


gastrovascular cavity
• where digestion takes place
• represents an incomplete
digestive system (2-way)
• two layers of cells: EPIDERMIS
gastrodermis lining the
digestive tract and
TENTACLE
epidermis (outer layer) GV Cavity
• mesoglea:
COLUM jelly substance in between the two cell
MESOGLEA
layers.
N
• this is the support system GASTRODERMI
a hydrostatic skeleton
S

ABORAL (BOTTOM)
Two Body Plans

• many cnidarians alternate


between polyps and
medusa body form
• some may exist primarily as
one form or the other
• polyp form is sessile
• tentacles at the top of the body
• medusa form is mobile
• may swim or float
• tentacles at the bottom of the body
Specialized Cells

• tentacles of all cnidarians


produce nematocysts
• organelles that can
discharge threads to
entangle, penetrate, or
poison prey
• tentacles composed of cells
called cnidocytes, which
contain the nematocysts.
• cnidocyte =“nettle cell”
• nematocyst is a ‘harpoon’: when the trigger is
touched, the nematocyst shoots out
• drills its way into whatever touched the
trigger
Digestion/Respiration
• prey on a variety of organisms
• have incomplete digestive system so food
waste is expelled out of the same opening it
is taken in (2 – way)
• respiration takes place by diffusion of oxygen
directly through their tissues
Nervous System
• both body forms have a nerve net
• moves body
• moves tentacles
• medusa forms also have a nerve ring
• coordinates swimming, balance,
and direction
• it is not a brain
Reproduction
• gonads are their only organs
• typical life cycle involves both sexual and
asexual reproduction
• larva known as a planula which develops
from a zygote
• larva moves around and eventually settles
down
• develops into the adult polyp
• polyp grows and may eventually reproduce
asexually to form medusa
• each medusa develops gonads which can
produce egg or sperm
• egg/sperm released into the water to
fertilize and form a larva
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