Marine Life: Taxonomy and characteristics

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Marine LifeTaxonomy and characteristics
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Presentation purpose

• Examine nomenclature of all marine phyla
• Document characteristics and life history
  strategies that facilitate survival and define
  phyla
• Create visual association with phyla
• Briefly examine overarching ecologic principles

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Marine Tree of Life
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Taxonomy Review

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species

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Marine Phyla

• I. Kingdom Protista, Protozoa(grab bag of
  unicellular organisms including seaweed, more
  later
• II. Kingdom Plantae (few), Fungi, Bacteria (1
  million per 1 mL)
• III. Kingdom Animalia) multicellular eukaryotic
  heterotrophs.
• A. Invertebrates animals without vertebral
  column, 95 of animals ( emphasize)
• Phylum PoriferaPhylum Cnidaria Phylum
  CtenophoraPhylum PlatyhelminthesPhylum
  NemerteaPhylum NematodaPhylum
  EctoproctaPhylum PhoronidaPhylum
  BrachiopodaPhylum MolluscaPhylum
  SipunculaPhylum EchiuroideaPhylum
  PogonophoraPhylum ChaetognathaPhylum
  AnnelidaPhylum Arthropoda (Class
  Crustacea)Phylum Echinodermata
• B. Vertebrates with vertebral column.
• Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Urochordata
• more later

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Seaweed

• Plantlike protists
• Multicellular algae, unspeciailized cells,
  non-vascular structure
• Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta, Chlorphyta
• Structure
• thallus the algal body
• blade a flattened structure that is somewhat
  leaf-like
• sorus spore cluster
• on Fucus -- Air bladders float-assist organ (on
  blade)
• on kelp -- floats float-assist organ (in between
  blade and stipe)
• stipe a stem-like structure, may be absent
• holdfast specialized basal structure providing
  attachment to the bottom
• The stipe and blade are collectively known as
  frond.

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Phylum Chordata          Vertebrata

•  Pisces Fish
• Aquatic vertebrates bearing fins rather than
  walking limbs. Locomotion is achieved by body
  undulations and/or independent fin movements.
  Respiration involves gills. Water enters through
  the mouth and passes out through two or more gill
  slits. The skin of most fish is covered in
  denticles or scales.
• There are three recognized classes of fish
• A. Class Cyclostomata Jawless fish - hagfish,
  lampreys relativesA small group of primitive
  eel-like fishes lacking a jaw and paired fins,
  but with a cartilagenous skeleton.
• B. Class Chondrichthyes cartilagenous fish -
  rays, sharks and relativesFish with a skeleton
  of cartilage, and including a jaw.
• C. Class Osteichthyes bony fishFish with a
  calcified bony skeleton incorporating a jaw.

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Helpful Links

• All about invertebrates
• Plankton