Invertebrate



Invertebrates are animals that do not have a vertebral column, which is otherwise known as the backbone or spinal column. The term was coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe this particular characteristic of animals or rather the lack thereof, but is not used as a designation in the taxonomic hierarchy.

Invertebrates include all animals except the vertebrates (i.e. fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals). Ninety-five percent of the animals in the animal kingdom do not possess a backbone. The invertebrates include important groups such as the crustaceans, insects, arachnids, mollusks, and worms.

Invertebrate Phyla



 * Arthropoda (lobsters, crabs, insects)
 * Porifera (sponges)
 * Echinodermata (sea urchins, sea cucumbers, starfish)
 * Cnidaria (jellyfish, corals, anemones)
 * Annelida (earth worms, leeches)
 * Platyhelminthes (flukes, tapeworms)
 * Nematoda (hookworms, pinworms)
 * Mollusca (shellfish, squid, snails, slugs)
 * Rotifera (rotifers)
 * Ctenophora (comb jellies)

Related References

 * Invertebrate by Wikipedia