1. Phylum Porifera Example: Sponges
Sponges are the simplest of animals that carry out all processes by the movement of water through pores
Characteristics:
Lack definite symmetry
No germ layers or mouth.
Reproduce both sexually and asexually
All process carried out a few specialized cells

2. Phylum Cnidarians Examples: Jellyfish, Hydra, Sea Anemones and Corals
Characteristics:
Two layers – an endoderm and ectoderm, with a layer of jelly-like material between.
A single mouth/anus surrounded by stinging tentacles
A nerve net to detect stimuli
Hydrostatic skeleton allow the animal to move

3. Phylum Platyhelminthes Example: Flatworms
Characteristics:
Bilateral symmetry
Protostome
Digestive system is branched with a single opening (mouth) with a specialized pharynx that pumps food into the digestive system
Cephalization – in some the head encloses ganglia – a group of nerve cells
Some are parasitic (ex: Flukes and tapeworms)
Phylum Platyhelminthes Example: Flatworms

4. Phylum Nematoda Examples: Roundworms Characteristics:
Body cavity, pseudocoelom, located between endoderm and mesoderm
Three Germ layers. Have complete, one-way digestive tracts (mouth and anus)
Protostome
Bilateral symmetry
Nematoda contains the most members, most are microscopic, many parasitic

5. Phylum Annelida
Examples: earthworm, leeches, polychaetes, and feather dusters
Characteristics:
Worms with segmented bodies. Three germ layers and a true coelom
Bilateral symmetry
Cephalization
Protostome

6. Phylum Mollusca Examples: snails, slugs, clams, squids, octopi
Characteristics:
Soft-bodied that usually have a shell
4 part body plan
Foot – movement
Mantle – layer of tissue covering body
Shell – created my mantle, lost in some members
Visceral mass – internal organs
Three germ layers with coelom
Bilateral symmetry

7. Phylum Arthropoda Examples: insects, crabs, centipedes, spiders
Characteristics:
Arthropods have a segmented body, tough exoskeleton, and jointed appendages.
Most successful of all invertebrates
Many specialized organs
Three Germ Layers with coelom
Bilateral symmetry

8. Phylum Echinodermata
Examples: sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sand dollars.
Characteristics:
Most have spiny skin, an internal skeleton, a water vascular system, and suction-cuplike tube feet.
Larva forms have bilateral symmetry and adults have radial symmetry.
Adults possess five-part body plan
Deuterstome
Three germ layers with a coelom