Glossary

phylum

Taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class.

Related terms

annelid
Member of the phylum Annelida which comprises a large group of segmented, usually elongate, worm-like invertebrates. Contains both earthworms and leeches among others.
arthropod
Any member of the phylum Arthropoda, these being characterised by a (usually) chitinous exoskeleton and segmented body to which jointed appendages are attached in pairs. Arthropods include the insects, crustaceans, arachnids, myriapods, and extinct trilobites, and comprise the largest phylum in the animal kingdom.
bryophyta
The plant phylum comprising mosses and liverworts. Members have no true roots, stem or leaves.
Cnidaria
Phylum of aquatic organisms that includes the corals, jellyfishes, sea anemones, hydrae, etc., and characterised by possession of specialised venomous cells known as cnidocytes. Formerly included in the now-defunct phylum Coelenterata.
cnidarian
Any member of the phylum Cnidaria.
crustacean
Any member of the predominantly aquatic arthropod grouping Crustacea which currently contains almost 70,000 recognised species, including all crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. It's difficult to define their characteristics since the group is of arguable hierarchical status, generally regarded to represent either a Phylum or Subphylum.
cyanobacteria
Phylum of generally blue-green coloured bacteria, often confused with algae, that obtain their energy via photosynthesis and include unicellular and colonial species. Some species occur commonly in aquaria where they're normally regarded as pests.
formanifera
Phylum of amoeboid microorganisms and a common constituent of marine plankton.
infusoria
Collective term for certain members of the protozoan Phylum Ciliophora, of which it is considered a subclass in certain classification systems. Members naturally inhabit infusions of decomposing organic material and some are cultured by aquarists in order to feed very small fish fry. The name was formerly applied to a much larger group of aquatic microorganisms which also included some other protist groups and unicellular algae.
kingdom
Taxonomic rank in the hierarchical classification of living organisms and natural objects. Either the highest rank or rank below domain, depending on the system being followed.
mollusc
Any member of the invertebrate phylum Mollusca.
Mollusca
Large, highly diverse invertebrate phylum. Members are difficult to define but generally possess a soft, unsegmented body, and often a shell or shell-like structure secreted by a mantle. Includes all bivalves, cephalopods, and gastropods.
taxonomic
Of or relating to taxonomy.

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