Animals I: Porifera & Cnidaria

Phylum Cnidaria: Anemones and Jellyfish
Embryonic Development: Diploblastic Acoelomate Gastrovascular

Circulatory: None; diffusion and gastrovascular cavity

Digestive: None; coelenteron

Nervous: Nerve net

Reproduction: Sexual: medusa; Asexual: polyp; Larvae: planula

Clade: Radiata

Symmetry: Radial

Special Features: Cnidocytes with nematocysts, mesoglea, ciliated myoepithelia

Links:

Cnidarian Fact Sheet

Nematocysts in action

Polyps and Medusas

Phylum Porifera: Sponges
Embryonic Development: Diploblastic Acoelomate

Circulatory: None; diffusion

Digestive: None; intracellular (spongocoel lined with choanocytes and amoebocytes)

Nervous: None

Reproduction: Sexual: external (sperm brought in by choanocytes) Asexual: regeneration by budding

Symmetry: Assymetrical or radial symmetry

Special Features: choanocytes, amoebocytes, spicules or spongin

Links:

Sponge Presentation by Jenna Hellack

Sponge Fact Sheet

Wild Ride Through a Sponge