zoology

Porifera

Hexactinellida: also called "glass sponge" .It is a deep sea sponge. They do not have an epidermal covering and their skeleton are composed of spicules of silica. These sponges are widely different then the other sponges due to most of their tissues are syncitia, extensive regions of multinucleate cytoplasm.

Calcarea: They are the only sponges that have spicules composed of calcium carbonate. These sponges do not have hollow axial canals. Ussualy Found in shallow waters but one species is know to live in a depth of 4,000 meters.

 

Demospongia: These are by far the most diverse sponge group know as 90 percent of the sponge species are these kinds. They skeletons are composed of spongin fibres and siliceous spicules, some live beneath stones and they do posses axial canals. They can grow to be very large and are found in almost any tropical waters and marine environments. 

Cnidaria

Box Jellyfish: Are also called "sea wasps". Their venom is among the most deadly in the world and they contain toxins that attack the heart, nervous system and skin cells. For humans touching one of their tentacles you can go into shock and drown of die of heart failure. Live in coastal waters of northern Australia. tentacles can grow up to 3 meters in length.

Coral: Most have a white skeleton that is made up of limestone and because of this they are not popular in fossle record. Coral reefs take a long time to grow due to the facts they only grow approximately 1 cm per year. Algae live inside coral and form a symbiotic relationship. The coral benefit from the energy and photosynthesis the algae make and the algae benefit form the protection and nutrients from wastes. 

Hydroids: These are colonies of hundreds of stinging jellies attached to seaweed like base. Hydroids are eaten by sea slugs, file fishes, puffers, and the Moorish Idol. they can get up to 5 cm long and they grow on rocks, hard surfaces, floats and in shallow water. 

Platyhelminthes

Cf. Dimid: Also called the "tiger" flatworm, can live under difficult light conditions. they are ussualy small but they can grow up to 40 mm. They can live in shallow, intertidal, and sub tidal parts of the water and live un to 3 or 4 months. The body colour of the organism can be; white, green, or even orange due to chemical compounds absorbed from eating.

Ferrugineus: This flat worm comes from Okinawa, Japan. their depth can be about 8m and their length 25 mm. 

Giesbrechtii (roseus): Also called the "pink flatworm" This flat worm comes from Mediteranian tropics such as Crete island. They are born with male and female parts which make them hermaphrodites and they can grow up to 3 cm in length.