A collaborative effort by the seventh grade GEMS students of Elsinore Middle School.

Amazing Invertebrates

A collection of science books, made in Book Creator.

Science books

Meet the &quot;insert common name of the phylum or class here&quot;

     Intro to the Phylum or class, including major characteristics and unique adaptations.

Words to know:   List important words relating to the phylum or class which you will feature later in the chapter as your glossary terms.

Common name of animal (Scientific name of animal)

Include photos of representative animals of your phylum or class ( preferably taken by a member of your team). Include the common name and scientific name name of the organism pictured.  When you take an image, make sure not to include faces of your group members.

Include a diagram relating to a prominent animal in the phylum / class, or a major characteristic of the phylum or class.  This could be a diagram drawn by a member of your group, and labeled using an app such as Skitch.

These are the resources we used to write this chapter:

Budding- having or developing buds on an organism Osculum- an excurrent opening of a sponge Spongocoel- the central cavity of a sponge Benthic- of, relating to, or occurring at the bottom of a body of water

<a href="http://www.seasponges.com.au/information/sea-sponge-facts">http://www.seasponges.com.au/information/sea-sponge-facts</a>

<a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/sponge/">http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/sponge/</a>

<a href="http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3431">http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3431</a>

<a href="http://animals.mom.me/different-sea-sponges-1627.html">http://animals.mom.me/different-sea-sponges-1627.html</a>

<a href="http://animals.mom.me/sponges-sensory-organs-6530.html">http://animals.mom.me/sponges-sensory-organs-6530.html</a>

To find out more about these organisms....

<a href="http://shapeoflife.org/resource/more-resources-about-sponges">http://shapeoflife.org/resource/more-resources-about-sponges</a>

<a href="http://shapeoflife.org/video/sponges-filter-feeding-made-visible">Sponges: Filter feeding made visible!</a>

<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge</a>

<a href="http://www.livescience.com/24663-weird-looking-meat-eating-sponge-found-in-deep-sea.html">Meat eating sponge!</a>

<a href="https://www.diverosa.com">https://www.diverosa.com</a>

<a href="http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_sponge.htm">http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_sponge.htm</a>

By Tyler R., Evan Janse &amp; Elias Castanon

After researching the Annelid fossil record, paleontologists can see that the annelids probably originated in the Precambrian era. Although there is evidence that Annelids probably lived about 541 million years ago, there are almost no signs of leech fossils on earth. There are two hypotheses about what the ancestors of all living annelids looked like. The first suggesting that the annelid ancestor was a burrowing organism. The second idea hypothesized was that the polychaete worms had a prehistoric figure that existed on the ocean floor. With these fossil records there is proof that this ancient phylum has been around for millions of years.

FUN FACT: Annelids have a nervous system with an anterior nerve ring, ganglia, and a ventral nerve chord.

Did you know.... Annelids  have segmentation all over their bodies.     Each annelid has internal septa, separating each segment of their body.  Each septa has fluid filled cavity inside it.

     Annelids have many interesting behaviors. One is that most annelids, if not all will grow back after being eaten or cut in half. Also, annelids will burrow under mud and sand to protect themselves from predators. Also, the tube worm will make small tubes inside rocks and other pieces of stone to hide themselves from predators

FUN FACT: You can spot annelids in various colors such as pink, red, brown, green, or even blue.

For basket stars, their living environment is on a high tide and rocky area, that way they can attach to something during forceful currents. On the other hand, brittle stars are found at depths greater than 500 meters to 6 kilometers and can also tolerate brackish water, which is very unusual for Echinoderms.

<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/brittle-stars-are-everywhere-5-extreme.html">Brittle Stars' Enviroment</a>

<a href="http://www.ima.gov.tt/home/what-new/100-going-to-sea.html">Basket Stars' Enviroment</a>

Basket stars seem to have a normal diet when it comes to being in this phylum. These magnificent Echinoderms feed on tiny plankton by using their outward connecting branches capture their prey through the flow of the currents. Also, they could capture zooplankton by &quot;hiding&quot; like a jack-in-the-box and disperses once the sense of zooplankton comes around. During the day, they hide and prepare for the night&apos;s hunting. On the other hand, brittle stars consume organic particles and small animals such as crustaceans. Brittle stars are nocturnal and have a special way of eating by stretching out to catch food particles to bring to their main mouth. Both brittle and basket stars are eaten mostly by crabs, fish, and sometimes other sea stars. Technically, they find plankton the same way. However, basket stars use multiple branches. On the other hand, brittle stars use only their five branches.

<a href="http://www.primack.net/animals/zooplankton.htm">Zooplankton</a>

Did you know... That basket stars can grow up to half a meter and weigh 11 pounds.

Did you know....  That there are over 2,000 different species of brittle stars worldwide, which is more than any other group of sea stars.

Hermit crab (Paguroidea)

Most species of crustaceans live in water, although a few such as wood lice and land crabs occur in moist habitats on land. The spiders, mites, scorpions, and other land arachnids are almost entirely land animals, as are the extremely diverse insects. Arthropods are both harmful and helpful to humans.

Did you know... Some trilobites could swim, but others burrowed or crawled around on the sea floor.

California Mantis (Stagmomantis californica)

Fun Fact:   Ancestral Arthropods were the first land animals on the planet.

     Arthropods are a major source of food for many animals and even some plants. Birds, reptiles, fish, and other Arthropods eat the animals in the phylum. Even people can enjoy a tasty meal of Arthropods. In the ocean, Arthropods such as krill, copepods, and crustaceans form the base of the food chain. But Arthropods eat fungi, worms, and other Arthropods.

Bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus)

Did you know Scorpion exoskeletons glow green when under a black light.

List- and define important words relating to the phylum or class. List- and define important words relating to the phylum or class. List- and define important words relating to the phylum or class. List- and define important words relating to the phylum or class.

Our resources: These are the resources we used to write this chapter:

Create active links to assist your readers:

Thank you <a href="http://www.diverosa.com">Diverosa.com</a> for sharing your beautiful photos!

Resources: Include interesting links here that will allow the readers to find out more about these organisms.

By Kathy B., (include the first name and last initial of your group members)

     Cephalopods are found in all oceans of earth, from the warm water of the tropics, to the near freezing water at the poles. Cephalopods are found at all depths from hydrothermal vents to the sea surface. There are no species of Cephalopods that live in freshwater; they all live in marine environments.

Did you know... The fossils of ammonites, extinct cephalopods that lived millions of years ago, were very common on the southern England coast. They were so common that the town of Whitby had three on its town coat of arms.

Bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana)

Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)

     All Cephalopods are carnivorous. They eat fish, worms, crustaceans, and other mollusks. All Cephalopods have a beak. They capture prey with their tentacles and bring it into their mouth. They then take bites of it and will later digest it.

Humboldt squid beak (Dosidicus gigas)

Fun fact... Male paper nautiluses are about the tenth of the size as female paper nautiluses.

Nematoda - A large phylum of worms with slender, unsegmented, cylindrical bodies, including the roundworms, threadworms, and eelworms. They are found abundantly in soil and water, and many are parasites Transparent - a material or article allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen. Parasites - an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host&apos;s expense. Viruses - an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host

<a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/ecdysozoa/nematoda.html">Information on nematodes</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org">Picture of the transparent roundworm</a> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com">(phylum Nematoda unsegmented)</a> <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/ecdysozoa/nematoda.html">The origin of roundwormshttps</a> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&amp;source=images&amp;cd=&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi3sJabkKrMAhVC4WMKHaaUDkYQjB0IBg&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.darwinsgalapagos.com%2Fanimals%2Fnematoda_roundworms.htm&amp;psig=AFQjCNGlVifZ5Z2wviIPSywPflAafU7ZhQ&amp;ust=1461685301337574&amp;rct=j">Roundworm photo (Animlia)</a> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&amp;source=images&amp;cd=&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjm9-rSk6rMAhUO1mMKHRmQCSYQjB0IBg&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2016-03-11%2Ftransparent-worm-reveals-healing-power-of-nerves%2F7235818&amp;psig=AFQjCNEPhxT9q1bO3KwZjOJUXZ_8-uhUQQ&amp;ust=1461686215324746&amp;rct=j">See through roundworm</a> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com">For more roundworm pictures</a>

Resources for more info. : <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/ecdysozoa/nematoda.html">A great website for learning about nematodes as an introduction </a> <a href="http://poster.4teachers.org/view/poster.php?poster_id=379745">Fun facts on roundworms</a>

By Juliana A., Magali B. &amp; Deziree C.

Published March 2019 Elsinore Middle School Lake Elsinore, CA Cover Art by Jennie Pham Book Design by Kathy Blakemore

Cnidarians are very interesting creatures when it comes to habitats. Since there are over 10,000 species in this phylum, they all have unique habitats. One example is the Sea Anemone, which lives in all marine environments, the ocean floor, and in almost every coral reef. Sea Anemones, as well as coral reefs, need a hard surface to grow on. This is the reason why many are found on the ocean floor. Some invertebrates dig into the coral to make a home or use the coral to hide themselves. Reefs in Florida Keys hold at least 45 species of stony coral, 47 species of octocoral, 5 species of sea turtles, 500 species of fish, approximately 1,700 species of mollusk, and hundreds of species of sponge. A very interesting one is jellies, which don&apos;t have one specific region, as most jellies migrate in waters all around the world.

Cnidarians are a very diverse group, and have varying diets. Some are carnivorous and others don’t eat at all. Jellies are carnivorous and their meal usually consist of plankton and small fish. A very interesting eating behavior is that sometimes jellies will travel in very large swarms. This can deplete entire areas of food for other animals. All Cnidarians use the cnidocytes on their tentacles to catch any marine animal who happens to be so unlucky as to swim too close. After injecting the neurotoxins into the bloodstream of the animal, the tentacles then drag the prey into the captor&apos;s mouth. Like jellies, Sea Anemones commonly eat plankton and small fish. Coral is very interesting as many don&apos;t have to hunt for food. These animals receive nutrients through a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, a type of algae that live inside the coral.

Did you know... A group of jellies is called a smack!

Anemone carrier (Dardanus pedunculatus)

FUN FACT:  Coral Reefs cover less than 0.2% of our oceans, but contain 25% of the world’s marine fish species.

Thorax- the middle section of the body of an insect, between the head and the abdomen, bearing the legs and wings Abdomen- the posterior part of an arthropod, especially the segments of an insect&apos;s body behind the thorax Insecticide- a substance used for killing insects Climates- the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period. Herbivores- an animal that feeds on plants. Carnivores- an animal that feeds on flesh. Parasites- an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host&apos;s expense. Host- an animal or plant on or in which a parasite or commensal organism lives.

<a href="http://www.britanica.com">Britannica.com</a> <a href="http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu">Entnemdept.ufl.edu</a> <a href="http://www.turbosquid.com">Turbosquid.com</a> <a href="http://www.cashmancuneo.net">Cashmancuneo.net</a> <a href="http://www.arkinspace.com">Arkinspace.com</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk">Bbc.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.museumvictoria.cam.au">Museumvictoria.cam.au</a> <a href="http://www.dayasriomo.bid">Dayasriomo.bid</a> <a href="http://www.infoplease.com">Infoplease.com</a> <a href="http://www.insects-science.blogspot.com">Insects-science.blogspot.com</a> <a href="http://www.www.dkfindout.com">Www.dkfindout.com</a> <a href="http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com">Kids.nationalgeographic.com</a> <a href="http://www.sciencenews.org">Sciencenews.org</a> <a href="http://www.homeguides.sfgate.com">Homeguides.sfgate.com</a> <a href="http://www.yahoo.answers.com">Yahoo.answers.com</a> <a href="http://www.insects.about.com">Insects.about.com</a>

Earthworms are found anywhere there is moist soil and dead plant material. They are mostly found in rainy forest areas because they need moist soil conditions to survive. Other Oligochaete worms are aquatic, living only in water, or semi aquatic, which means they live on land and in water.

FUN FACT: Earthworms have no eyes or ears? They do have one end of their body that is more sensitive then the other end of the body

Worms get their nutrients from bacteria, fungi, living organisms, and they feed on decomposing remains of other animals in soil and leaves. Many animals eat worms. Birds, lizards, centipedes, frogs toads, turtles, skunks, snakes, gophers, and moles all eat worms. Earthworms can consume about ½ to 1 times their body weight every day and can process about 10 pounds of organic material per worm per year

Gastropod- A mollusk of the large class &quot;Gastropoda&quot;, such as a snail, slug, or whelk Amphibious- relating to, living in, or suited for both land and water Hermaphrodite- a person or animal having both male and female reproductive organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally or as the natural condition Pulmonate- a mollusk of the group Pulmonata, which includes the land snails and slugs and many freshwater snails Predatory- relating to or denoting an animal or animals preying naturally on others

<a href="http://www.diverosa.com">www.diverosa.com </a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com">www.pinterest.com </a><a href="http://www.backyardnature.net">www.backyardnature.net </a><a href="http://www.wikipedia.org">www.wikipedia.org</a>

Resources: To find out more about these organisms....

Exoskeleton - the external skeleton that supports and protects an animals body Symmetry - the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts that face each other Crustacea - a subphylum in Phylum Arthropoda Species - a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes Habitat - the natural home or environment of an animal Diverse - showing a great deal of variety Extinct - having no living members Lineages - lineal descent from an ancestor Adapted - make something suitable for a new purpose

<a href="http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/arthropod1.htm">http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/arthropod1.htm</a>

<a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/arthropoda.html">http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda /arthropoda.html</a>

<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/arthropodsjfr1/interesting-facts">https://sites.google.com/site/arthropodsjfr1 /interesting-facts </a>

<a href="http://animals.about.com/od/arthropods/a/tenfactsarthropods.htm">http://animals.about.com/od/arthropods/a/ tenfactsarthropods.htm</a>

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Arthropoda.aspx">http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/ Arthropoda.aspx</a>

Special thanks to <a href="http://diverosa.com">Diverosa.com</a> for the amazing photos.

By Abigail Birch, Allison Dinger, &amp; Mahal Madinya

Sea stars evolved about 600 million years ago at a time when most of the major groups of animals first appeared.  Sea cucumbers have been around for 400 million years.

Sea stars (male and female) can reproduce sexually by releasing millions of sperm or eggs into the water, where they mix together to form a fertilized egg.

Most of the threats to sea stars and sea cucumbers are caused by man. One big threat is pollution.  Chemicals and trash that washes out to sea harms sea stars and sea cucumbers.  There is also a disease that is effecting most sea stars in the pacific coast. In less then 3 days they could be disolved. The disease causes their arms to fall off. This disease is called sea star wasting disease.

The white spot on the sea star is the disease starting 

Redlined sea cucumber (Thelenota rubralineata)

Sea cucumbers don&apos;t have a brain. Their nervous system consists of a ring and several nerves.

Sea cucumbers have five rows of paired tentacles on the surface of the body that are used for motion and feeding. 

This sea star also shows signs of the disease starting 

leopard Sea Cucumber (Bohadschia argus)

     Most Mollusks live in habitats with a cool to moderately warm environments. Some live in places with cracks and crevices in order to hide from their predators. Females use those specific places to shelter safely and lay their eggs. Other marine Mollusks can live in rocky shores, coral reefs, mud flats, and sandy beaches. While most Mollusks are found in the intertidal to the deepest oceans, several Gastropoda live in freshwater or terrestrial habitats.  

Fun facts....The largest mollusk is the giant squid. The smallest is the acmella nana with a 0.7 millimeter length.

Mollusks eat a variety of things. Cephalopods are at an advantage by having a hard sharp beak because they are able to crack through the hard shell of their prey if needed. Bivalves such as clams, oysters, and scallops filter feed. Gastropods such as snails and slugs use their radula, scraping at the surface they intend to eat.

Did you know..... The blue ringed octopus has enough venom throughout its body kill up to 42 adults in under ten minutes.

Blue ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena sp.)

Echinodermata- radially symmetrical marine invertebrate including starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars. Test- an Echinoderms hard shell, found on sea urchins, and sand dollars Radial symmetry- symmetry around a central axis, as in a sea urchin. Spine- any hard pointed defensive projection or structure, such as a spike on a sea urchin Detritus- organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms. Larvae- the immature forms of animals that undergo metamorphosis. Diatom- a single called algae that has a cell wall of silica. Bilateral symmetry- the property of being divisible into symmetrical halves on either side of a unique plane

<a href="http://navajocodetalkers.org/18-sea-urchin-facts-for-kids/">Sea Urchin Facts</a>

<a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/echinoderm/Seaurchin.shtml">Sea Urchin Anotomy</a>

<a href="http://a-z-animals.com/animals/sea-urchin/">More Sea Urchin Facts</a>

<a href="http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/sea-urchin-facts-13638.html">Sea Urchin Knowledge</a>

<a href="http://www.findfast.org/facts-about-sea-urchin.htm">Find Fast Facts</a>

<a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/sand-dollar">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a>

<a href="http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/sand-dollars-are-sea-urchins-please.html">http://echinoblog.blogspot.com</a>

Special thanks to <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://diverosa.com">Diverosa.com</a> for the amazing photos.

Corinne H., Isabelle G., Carson M. &amp; Connor T.

     Comb jellies can be found all over the world&apos;s oceans though most prefer to live in warmer waters. Comb jellies can be found from shallow waters to polluted water to brackish inland waters, but don&apos;t be confused, if the weather turns bad they will descend into the ocean depths to escape from rough waters.

Did you know... Comb jellies have a neural system, which is different from the brain of a human.

Blood belly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer)

     Comb jellies eat other comb jellies WHOLE!!! Since comb jellies have no stomachs, they just swallow their prey whole. Their prey is mainly small organisms drifting in the water, or other comb jellies sometimes larger than their own size. Once they have eaten their prey, they release digestive acids throughout their body to kill and dissolve it. This process takes about thirty minutes for big prey.

FUN FACTS: Comb jellies don&apos;t have an intestine, lungs, or stomach. They release their waste through their bodies immediately after dissolving their prey.

     Clams can live almost all locations including freshwater or saltwater, they live in or on sandy bottoms even thriving on muddy bottoms. Some clams latch themselves to rocks permanently, others also move around the sea beds with their muscular foot.  Oysters, on the other hand, live in warm coastal waters of all oceans. They are usually found in shallow waters and in colonies called beds or reefs. 

Fun Fact: Clams and oysters have no backbone. The two shells are joined by a hinge.

The picture to the left is of an oyster, Crassostrea gigas.

Burrowing Clam, Tridacna crocea

Orange-mouth thorny oyster, Spondylus varius

Hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria.)

     Oysters and clams eat plankton by filtering the plankton from the water with their siphon. Clams and oysters aren&apos;t able to move very easily, so they are vulnerable to predators like humans, seagulls, otters, crabs, sea stars and more.

Did you know...  There are 15,000 species of clams, but only 150 are edible.

Words to know Native ~ slender ~ nutrition ~ clitellum ~ organ ~ cocoon ~ paralyze ~ decomposing

Welcome.....get ready to experience the new world of Oligochaete. This group, approximately 10,000 species, makes up about half of the Annelid worms. Technically a worm can be considered any number of creeping or burrowing invertebrate with a longer, slender, soft body. But we&apos;re talking about a good old fashioned earthworm... you know the kind that have no ears or eyes or any limbs in that case. The most familiar is found in the genus Lumbricus, and if you fish you&apos;re probably more likely to know the reddish-gray colored earthworm, called a night crawler. Earthworms are native to Europe, but are now commonly found North America and Western Asia. Most people are more fond of the little 7 centimeter earthworm but what you are about to read will change your view on the worm world completely. Lets dig a little deeper into the world of worms....

In 1967, a 22ft earthworm was found in South Africa along a road

Evolutionary History......

Threats to survival.....

The history of the arthropod is a stunning example of evolution on a grand scale. Arthropods have diversified from their humble beginnings 500 million years ago. Some lineages, such as Opabinia and the trilobite have gone extinct but millions of Arthropod species remain. The basic arthropod body layout has evolved into many forms and has been adapted for different functions. However despite their overwhelming success, the evolution of Arthropods is still limited in some ways by characteristics inherited from their ancestors.

     Endangered Arthropods are defined as any of the number of species within the Phylum Arthropods who we extinction is likely in the foreseeable future. Estimating the number of arthropod endangered species is very difficult, mostly because a vast number of species themselves are not named or described. According to &quot;Deyrup and Eisner&quot;, the rate of destruction and degradation of natural habitats is currently so great that there are not nearly enough biologists to even catalog the arthropod species that are suddenly on the edge of extinction.&quot; In any case, independent estimates indicate that there are millions of undocumented Arthropods on Earth.

Ophis: snake Oura: tail              Krinon: lily Eidos: form

Words to know Calcium carbonate skeleton ~ vertebral ossicles ~ brackish water ~ zooplankton ~ Crinoids ~ Ordovician period, and Permian period

There are many different unique Echinoderms, however the basket and brittle stars are the most fascinating. Both basket and brittle stars are Ophiuroidea meaning snake tail (Ophis oura). The general characteristics of Ophiuroids are that they have 5 long flexible, whip-like arms that can reach 60 cm. (24 in.) in length. The central body disk is sharply marked off from the arms. These arms make possible movements moved from an internal calcium carbonate skeleton. The calcium carbonate skeletons look like vertebrates, however they are called vertebral ossicles. On the other hand, basket stars are surprisingly similar to brittle stars. However, their 5 arms have smaller curled branches that are attached outwards.

Common name: Basket stars Scientific name: Euryalina

Common name: Brittle Star Scientific: Ophiura ophiura

<a href="https://leusdk12ca-my.sharepoint.com/personal/kathy_blakemore_leusd_k12_ca_us/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx#id=%2Fpersonal%2Fkathy%5Fblakemore%5Fleusd%5Fk12%5Fca%5Fus%2FDocuments%2Finvertebrate%20pics%2FIMG%5F0abc%2EJPG&amp;FolderCTID=0x012000FC0F53F3F843474ABE7707014255D7EA&amp;AjaxDelta=1&amp;isStartPlt1=1460652536132&amp;parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fkathy%5Fblakemore%5Fleusd%5Fk12%5Fca%5Fus%2FDocuments%2Finvertebrate%20pics">Brittle Star Diagram</a>

<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket_star">Basket Star</a>

5 long, fragile snake-tail arms with curled branches 

<a href="http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2012/04/basket-star.html">Basket Star Diagram</a>

5 long, fragile snake-like arms with spines on the side

     Comb jellies are not endangered, but they are eaten by their own kind. More than 150 species eat jellies. Jellies are the favorite food of sunfish (Mola mola) and endangered leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)

     When comb jellies digest their prey, they store the nutrients and release the waste (poop) through the pores near the rear of their body. 

Ahh safe and sound down here.

What&apos;s a comb jelly&apos;s favorite time?

insectum: with a notched or divided body, cut into.

Words to know:  Arthropoda ~ Insecta ~ Phylum ~ Class ~ Exoskeleton ~ Compound Eyes

Insects are part of the Insecta class. The Insecta class belongs to the Arthropoda phylum. The Insects have three pairs of jointed legs, an exoskeleton, and three part segmented bodies that include the head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have compound eyes, one pair of antennae, and one or two pairs of wings. Insects can adapt to any habitat that has food. Insects can be found from the rainforests to deserts. Insects also have a difference in behavior. They move differently, eat differently, and communicate differently from each other. Insects also look different from each other. Since insects can adapt to any habitat, there is a very large amount of insects. This makes Insecta the largest class of the Arthropoda phylum.

Oecanthus Fultoni (snowy tree cricket)

Words to know: Cilia ~ bioluminescence ~ gastric cavity ~ habitat

Palau unidentified jellie Scientific name

Though these interesting comb jellies look small and delicate, they can survive in extreme conditions that not many other underwater creatures can. Comb jellies usually live in warm waters, but they can also survive in other climates. If there is a really bad storm, they will submerge into the ocean depths to avoid rough waters. Though the jellyfish, or jellies as my teacher calls them, are the closest relative of the comb jelly, there are various differences between the two. Jellies sting their prey to kill them and then eat them. Comb jellies eat their prey whole. Another difference is that jellyfish have a gastric cavity where they digest food, whereas comb jellies just digest their prey in their &quot;mouth&quot;.

These are comb jellies swimming in their natural habitat, which is mainly in warmer waters!

Words to know Symmetry ~ Exoskeleton ~ Crustacea ~ Species ~ Habitat ~ Diverse ~ Extinct ~ Lineages ~ Adapted ~ Appendeges

The largest phylum on earth, which includes more than 80% of all animals, is Phylum Arthropoda. In Greek, Arthro means jointed and pod means foot, giving Arthropods the name jointed foot. There are nearly one million different species of Arthropoda that have been discovered by scientists and placed into four main groups. All animals in this Phylum have exoskeletons made up of chitin. The exoskeleton is a hard outter shell that gives protection to the animal and acts as a support for the body.

Black Widow (Lactrodectus) Subphylum Arachinida

Sheep crab (Loxorhynchus grandis) Subphylum Crustacea

Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) Subphylum Insecta

Arthropods&apos; rigid exoskeletons provide protection and the basic building material for an arsenal of tool-like appendages. But the exoskeleton also has its downside. Since the exoskeleton is hard and its outer layer is non-living, the exoskeleton cannot grow bigger by small increments as the human skeleton does. Instead, arthropods must go through the delicate process of shedding the old exoskeleton and expanding to a larger size before the new exoskeleton hardens. This process is known as molting.

Invertebrate - An animal lacking a backbone. Arachnida - A large class of arachnids Cephalothorax - The fused of head and thorax of spiders Sensing - any of the faculties, as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body

<a href="http://www.spidersworlds.com">Cool site of spiders!</a>

<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion">Wonderful site about scorpions!</a>

<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion#/media/File%3AScorpion_Photograph_By_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg">Cool image of Scorpions</a>

<a href="http://thewayofthedog.co.uk/dogs-ticks-lyme-disease/">tick feeding image</a>

<a href="http://www.whatsthatbug.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/wolf_spider_cyprus_alex.jpg">Fascinating image of scorpion eating</a>

<a href="http://www.orkin.com/other/spiders/brown-recluse-spiders/">Cool image of spider</a>

<a href="http://animalstime.com/what-spiders-eat-what-house-spiders-eat/">Incredible image of spider eating</a>

<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/9bandy2/gotta-love-scorpions/">Awesome image of a scorpion</a>

<a href="http://Www.desertusa.com">Www.desertusa.com</a>

<a href="http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/spider">Awesome site about spiders!</a>

<a href="http://www.exploringnature.org">Spider diagram by Sheri Amsel</a>

<a href="http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/spider.html">Fascinating site of spiders! </a>

<a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/scorpion/">Incredible site of scorpions!</a>

<a href="http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/scorpion">Amazing site of scorpions!</a>

By Rodrigo A. Darius S. &amp; Isaiah W.

Clams and oysters first appeared 510 million years ago in Cambrian age rocks. The Cambrian age was the first geological time period of the Paleozoic era where the most evolution was evident. The first occurrence of bivalves were the Stenothecoida and the Siphonoconcha, found in old rocks. Clams and oysters also play a large role in the history of humans. They have always been a food supply for humans. Their bivalve shells have been used as buttons, jewelry, money, pigment, and so much more. The shells have also been fragmented and even used as fertilizer! Clams and oysters have always been a significant part of history as they continue to thrive.

Disco clam or Electric Flame Scallop, Ctenoides ales

     Because of the lack of limbs and basic senses, clams and oysters are put in danger. Acidification can harm clams, oysters, and many other creatures, because it reduces the pH of the ocean over an extended time period. Ocean acidification is dissolving the shells of their planktonic babies. Clams and oysters also have natural predators such as blue crabs, gulls, tautogs, waterfowl, and humans. Humans use clams and oysters very often for a food source, and many other resources that are used to make objects. Oysters and clams can also be washed up to shore and are left there to be eaten by birds, or picked up by humans. 

Did you know.... Oysters are capable of changing their gender, and end up doing it at least once in their lifetime!

     Insects can be found in almost every habitat on Earth. Ninety seven percent of insects live on land while the other three percent live in or on bodies of water like ponds and lakes. Insects can live anywhere their needs are met. Insects have been found in cold streams, hot deserts, rainforests and many other habitats. Insects are found in all climates depending on the type of insect they are and what they eat.

Fun Fact... The largest insect ever to live was a huge dragon fly type insect with a 2.5 foot wingspan!

     Most insects are herbivores and eat roots, leaves, nectar, wood, and seeds. Some are carnivores and eat other small insects. The parasites eat the flesh and blood of their host. Many small animals such as birds, lizards, frogs, and skunks eat insects and their eggs. Fish eat the insects that float on top of lakes, ponds, and streams. Plants also eat insects. There are over 500 insect-eating plant species. Even humans in some areas of the world eat insects  too. 

Did you know.... Scientists are unable to discover all of the species because of how many there are.

     The only threats they mostly have are the predators which are water birds, a variety of fish, and shrimp. Another threat to survival is another extinction, even though they survived 5 extinctions.

Did you know.... There are at least 10,000 species of these swimming bristly worms?

     Most polychaetes filter feed and eat mostly plankton. For defense, they bury themselves underground, or they make their own protective &quot;shell&quot; with other shells, sand, and their own saliva to glue them together. Also, a type of Polychaetes species can survive without oxygen for 96 hours.

Did you know.... The mouth some polychaetes can pop in and out of the head!

Fun Fact: The bristles on each of segment of the body gives the worms their name! Ex: Polychaete is &quot;with much hair&quot; in Greek.

To find out more about comb jellies visit the websites we used below:

Cilia- 1. Short, microscopic, hairlike vibrating structures. Cilia occur in large numbers on the surface of certain cells, either causing currents in the surrounding fluid, or, in some protozoans and other small organisms, providing propulsion Bioluminescence- 1. The biochemical emission of light by living organisms 2. The light emitted by organisms such as fireflies and deep-sea fishes Habitat- the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism Gastric Cavity- a primary organ of digestion and circulation in two major phyla: the Cnidaria and Platyhelminthes

This website will give you more general information about comb jellies and jellyfish.

<a href="http://ocean.si.edu/jellyfish-and-comb-jellies">http://ocean.si.edu/jellyfish-and-comb-jellies</a>

This website will give you more information about comb jellies specifically.

<a href="http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/comb_jellies">http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/- comb_jellies </a>

This website will give you more information about comb jellies and general characteristics of invertebrates.

<a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/comb-jelly">http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/comb-jelly </a>

By Roy Lorenzo, Ben K., Izak Johnson &amp; Colin Dutchen

     Lobsters eat a lot of things like smaller fish, clams, mussels, and sometimes other lobsters. Cod are the lobsters&apos; main predator, but tench, flounder, sculpin, wolffish, ocean pout, and eels also hunt lobsters. Crabs are omnivores, so they can eat both plants and animals. Crabs normally eat mollusks, fungus, shrimp, worms, and when desperate for food, dead animals on the ocean floor. Jellies and small fish eat crabs when they are small and young. Birds and larger fish eat crabs when they are larger and older. Shrimps are omnivores like crabs, so they eat plants and organisms that are smaller than them. Shrimps also scavenge on dead or decaying organisms. They are eaten by fish, crabs, dolphins, and other species.

Tuna crab (Pleuroncodes Planipes)

Crustaceans are interesting creatures. Lobsters, when mating, don&apos;t have their eggs fertilized immediately. The females carry around the male&apos;s semen and eventually choose the best one to fertilize her eggs with. The females can also only mate when she molts! A crab can communicate by flapping or drumming their pinchers! Seems Nemo wasn&apos;t too far off with their crab-tastic drummers! Shrimp travel in groups like fish! This is because of their size, since it&apos;s beneficial for them to stay in large groups for protection.

Sea Stars and sea cucumbers are marine, which means they only can be found in the ocean.  Sea cucumbers live in tropical waters and shallow coral reefs. Sea stars can be found near rocks and coral. Some sea stars live in tide pools by using their tube feet to hang on to rocks or edges. 

Fun Fact:  Sea stars can reproduce asexually. This means that if they lose an arm that has a part of their central disc, that an entire sea star can grow from that arm!

     Sea cucumbers eat all kinds of algae, detritus and plankton. Sea stars eat mussels that come from the sea floor. Sea stars can be eaten by fish, sea turtles, snails, sea crabs, shrimp, otters, birds, and even other sea stars. The sea cucumbers can be eaten by sea turtles, crabs, and many fish.  Sea cucumbers eat with tube feet surrounding their mouths. Sea stars eat by pushing its stomach out of their body, and then the stomach digests the prey.

Sea stars are not hermaphrodites (animals which have characteristics of both genders) but they are capable of changing their gender whenever they like during their lifetime. 