Cnidaria and Ctenophora

Chapter 7, Zoology
Phylum Cnidaria
 Pronounced (ny-dar'e-a).
 Name means “like or connected with nettles”.
 Approximately 9,000 species.
 All aquatic; mostly marine, a few freshwater.
 All have radial symmetry.
 All have two germ (true tissues) layers (diploblastic);
the ectoderm and endoderm.
 Polymorphism, two body types; polyp and medusa.
Phylum Cnidaria
 The name is derived from the many stinging cells that
they bear called Cnidocytes.
 Cnidocytes usually contain stinging organelles called
nematocysts.
 The nematocysts function as weapons that deliver
powerful toxins to kill, paralyze, or injure their prey
and/or their enemies.
Cnidocytes and Nematocysts
Ecology of Cnidarians
 Found mostly in shallow, • Corals play an important
warm equatorial/tropical role in the ecology of coral
marine habitats. reefs by building reefs and
providing a habitat for other
 Hydra and Sea Anenomes
marine organisms.
often live symbiotically on
mollusc and crab shells.
 Jellyfish (medusa) are
mostly found in open ocean
(pelagic) zones and open
lake (limnetic) zones.
Dimorphism (Polymorphism)
 Cnidarians exhibit polymorphism, meaning they have
two different body types.
 The sedentary or sessile type that lives attached to the
ground surface are called Polyps.
 The mobile type that floats is called a Medusa.
Description of Polyp Body Form
 Cylindrical or tube-  Sea Anemone in the
shaped body. Polyp Body Form
 Mouth is surrounded
by tentacles.
 Mouth leads to the
gastrovascular cavity.
 The aboral end is
attached to the
ground.
Asexual Reproduction in Polyps
 There are three different types of asexual reproduction
used by polyps.
 Budding – A round ball of tissue forms on the side of the
polyp and develops into an adult polyp.
 Fission – When an adult polyp splits in half and develops
into two identical adult clone polyps.
 Pedal Laceration – When a piece of tissue is torn from
the base of the polyp and develops into a new polyp.
Polyps Budding
Budding Colonies
 In certain species of cnidarians, if buds stay attached to
the polyps, a cnidarian colony may form.
 These budding colonies can share food through a
common gastrovascular cavity.
 Different polyps in a colony that specialize and perform a
variety of specific tasks are called zooids.
 Gastrozooids aid in feeding.
 Dactylozooids aid in defense.
 Gonozooids aid in reproduction.
The Portugese Man-of-War
Example of colonies of zooids in a
common cnidarian
Description of Medusa
 Medusa are the free-swimming or floating body
form of a cnidarian.
 Medusa are bell-shaped or umbrella-shaped.
 The mouth of the medusa (oral side) faces
downward and is surrounded by tentacles.
 Both the polyp and medusa have a jelly-like fluid in
the center of their bodies called mesoglea.
 The mesoglea is much thicker in medusa making
them buoyant, giving them the name jellyfishes.
Medusa
Cnidarian Movement
 Colonial polyps are stationary
 Solitary polyps can move slowly along the surface of the
ground by secreting mucus and sliding along their base.
 Medusa can move freely by contracting their body and
by excreting water out their mouth.
Cnidarian Life Cycles
 Life cycles of cnidarians can be complex, but in general
life begins in the form of a larva called a planula.
 The planula settles and develops into a an adult polyp.
 Depending on the type of cnidarian, the polyp can
remain a polyp for life (like sea anemones and corals)
or the polyp may develop into a medusa (like a jellyfish).
 Eventually becoming sexually mature and releasing
gametes (sex cells) that will unite to form a zygote.
 The developing zygote will form into a planula.
Typical Cnidarian Life Cycle
Typical Cnidarian Life Cycle
Cnidarian Digestion
 The tentacles draw the prey into the mouth.
 Digestion begins in the gastrovascular cavity.
 Digestive enzymes are secreted in the gastrovascular
cavity and the food is broken down into smaller pieces.
 After the food is broken down, nutrients get absorbed by
the cells lining the gastrovascular cavity.
 Eventually the excess waste is expelled out the mouth.
Cnidarian Tissues
 The body of a cnidarian consists of three parts, but
these are derived from only two (tissues) germ layers.
 The outer epidermis (derived from ectoderm)
 The inner gastrodermis (derived from the endoderm)
 And the middle mesoglea (not a germ or tissue layer)
Cnidarian Cells
 Cnidarians posses a variety of differentiated cells lining or
embedded in the epidermis and gastrodermis.
 Nutritive-muscular cells – provide support and structure
with a hydrostatic skeleton; additionally they also function as
digestive cells (found in the gastrodermis).
 Gland cells – secrete digestive enzymes (gastrodermis).
 Epitheliomuscular cells – provide a protective covering and
muscular movement. Contracts tentacles. (epidermis).
 Interstitial cells – stem cells that can develop into a variety
of other cells including cnidocytes, sex cells, buds, nerve
cells etc. (found in the epidermis).
Cnidarian Cells
 Cnidocytes are the cells that make up the main defense
mechanism for cnidarians.
 The cnidocytes contain little spines attached to a coil
called nematocysts that function as weapons and can
injure or paralyze their prey and/or enemies.
 There are three types of nematocysts; Those that
penetrate and inject poison (penetrants), those that
entangle prey (volvents), and those that secrete an
adhesive substance (glutinants)
Nematocysts
Cnidarian Nervous System
 No central nervous system in Cnidarians.
 All of the sensory and nerve cells are connected via a
nerve net which is a complex network of cells that are
able to communicate and respond to each other.
Cnidarian Senses
 Some Cnidarians also have some basic sensory
cells that are connected to their nerve net.
 Statocysts provide equilibrium and balance.
 Ocelli are photosensitive and detect light.
Class Hydrazoa (hi-dro-zo'a)
 Name means “water serpent animal”.
 Most Hydrazoa live in marine environments and most
also live in colonies.
 Some Hydrazoa are solitary and live in freshwater.
 Most commonly polyps reproduce asexually and
medusa reproduce sexually
 Examples of genera include; Hydra, Obelia, Physalia,
Hydra and Obelia
 Hydra are freshwater
cnidarians that are
solitary and exist in the
polyp body form
 Obelia often live in
colonies and exist in
both the polyp and
medusa body form
 Solitary Hydra on left
and Obelia colony on
the right
Physalia (Portugese Man-of-War)
 Exist as both medusa
• This portugese man-of-
and polyp forms.
war is actually a colony
 These Hydrazoans of hydrazoans acting
form floating colonies. as one unit.
 The nematocysts
secrete a powerful
neurotoxin that can
inflict painful stings.
Class Scyphozoa (si-fo-zo'a)
 Name means “cup animal”
 Includes most of the common large jellyfish
 Solitary animals
 Scyphozoans are all marine
 Polyp stage is often absent
 Scyphozoans have a bell-shaped medusa filled with
an enlarged mesoglea and they lack a velum.
 The velum is a circular membrane surrounding the
cap of a medusa that aids in swimming.
 Examples of Scyphozoans genera include; Aurelia,
Cyanea, Cassiopeia, and Rhizostoma
 Aurelia and Cyanea
 Aurelia on top “moon jellyfish”.
 Feeds on plankton caught in
mucus on its umbrella
 Cyanea capillata on bottom.
Called “Sea blubber” by fishermen.
 Aka Giant jellyfish or Lion's mane
jellyfish) with a bell diameter of 2
meters and tentacles that can
reach 60 - 70 meters long.
Class Cubozoa (ku'bo-zo'a)
 Name means a “cube-shaped animal”.
 All marine
 Solitary animals.
 Very little is known about the life cycle of cubozoans.
 Medusa are the primary body form.
 The bell-shaped medusa have a square or cube-shaped
cross section.
 Examples of cubozoa include; Carybdea, Tripedalia,
Chironex, and Chiropsalmus
Class Cubozoa
 Box Jellyfish
(Carybdea
marsupialis)
The Sea Wasp Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

 Stings are very painful, dangerous and

sometimes fatal. Found in the waters of
Australia.
Class Anthozoa (an-tho-zo'a)
 Name means “flower animal”.
 All polyps, no medusa.
 All marine, some colonial, some solitary.
 Found all over the world, in deep, shallow, tropical and
polar seas.
 Three different subclasses.
 Zoantharia – Sea anemones and hard corals
 Ceriantipatharia – Tube anemones and thorny corals
 Octocorallia – Soft and horny corals such as sea
pens, sea fans, and sea pansies. Corals with an
octomerous arrangement.
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Zoantharia
 Sea Anemones and Hard Corals
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Ceriantipatharia
 Tube Anemones and Thorny Corals
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Octocorallia
 Soft and horny corals
 Octocorallians are octomerous meaning they usually have an
arrangement of eight tentacles arranged around the mouth.
Phylum Ctenophora (te-nof'o-ra)
 Name means comb bearing.
 Ctenophorans are called “comb jellies”.
 All marine, less than 100 species known.
 Live mostly in warm, tropical waters.
 Eight rows of comblike plates used for locomotion.
 Radial symmetry like Cnidarians.
 Most Ctenophores do not have nematocysts like
Cnidarians. Instead they use sticky glue-like cells called
colloblasts to capture prey.
 Comb jellies are also bioluminescent.
Ctenophora (Comb Jellies)