Animal Phyla/Acoelomorpha
- Acoelomorpha
- Name Meaning: With gut
- English Common Name: Acoels
- Major distinguishing characteristics: No mouth or alimentary canal
- Approximate number of species described: unknown
Natural History
[edit | edit source]All but two freshwater species are marine. All are aquatic. They live between the grains of sand, in the water column as plankton, or crawling on the substrate or other organisms.
Taxonomy
[edit | edit source]Some consider this group to be a Subphylum of Xenacoelomorpha.
There are two Classes that traditionally belong to the Phylum regardless of their placement.
- Acoela
- Nemertodermatida
Anatomy
[edit | edit source]The Acoelomorpha resemble flat worms. Their internal structures are so simple they have no real internal structures.
The Fossil Record
[edit | edit source]There is no known fossil record.
Quiz
[edit | edit source]References and Further Reading
[edit | edit source]- Acoelomorpha on Encyclopedia of Life
- Acoelomorpha at Wikipedia