Zoology 250 Phylogenetic Trees (2005)


(feather star)

(starfish)
Phylum ECHINODERMATA

(traits & tree after
Ruppert & Barnes 1994 and
Brusca & Brusca 1990 834)


(sea urchin)

(brittle star)

(sea cucumber)

        ==1================================= Crinoidea (sea lilies, feather stars)
<<=E====|
        |                 ==4=============== Asteroidea ('true' starfish)
        |        ====3====|
        |        |        ==5=============== Ophiuroidea (brittle stars)
        ===2=====|
                 |        ==7=============== Echinoidea (sea urchins)
                 ====6====|
                          ==8=============== Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers)

Back to Zool 250 tree for animal phyla or Deuterostomia.


TRAITS SUPPORTING EACH CLADE (** plesiomorphic- a primitive state, not unique to clade):

E= ECHINODERMATA (living classes):
a) pentaradial symmetry
b) endoskeleton of calcareous ossicles with unique perforated structure
c) unique water vascular system with suckerless podia
d) open ambulacral grooves
e) mouth & anus on oral surface**
f) sessile; attached to substratum with aboral surface (primitively)
g) multiple gonads** #
h) spherical sperm** #
i) gill pores/slits absent in adults
j) monociliated cells**
1= CRINOIDEA:
a) sessile; attached to substratum with stalk (primitively)**
b) multiple arms bearing open ciliated grooves for suspension feeding
c) podia lack suckers**, not used for locomotion
d) use articulated cirri for locomotion (derived forms)
e) vitellaria larvae
2:
a) free living (not sessile) #
b) oral surface becomes ventral
c) anus becomes dorsal
d) use podia (tube feet) for locomotion
e) stone canal becomes ossified #
f) polian vesicles (or similar) on ring canal
3= ASTEROZOA:
a) body plan of five arms connected to an oral disc
4= ASTEROIDEA:
a) thick arms, broadly connected to oral disc
b) podia possess suckers
c) pedicellaria** (2 orders)
d) bipinnaria & brachilaria larvae
5= OPHIUROIDEA:
a) snake-like arms narrowly connected to oral disc
b) arm ossicles like miniature 'vertebrae'
c) anus absent in adult
d) ophiopleuteus larvae
6:
a) arms absent
b) ambulacral grooves extend from oral to aboral pole
c) aboral surface restricted to small region around anus
d) podia possess suckers
e) podia possess calcified disc #
f) podia possess secretory goblet & tuft cells#
g) esophagous has internal skeleton#
7= ECHINOIDEA:
a) fusion of skeletal ossicles to form globular or discoidal test
b) test covered with articulated, moveable spines; spines quite large in some taxa
c) pedicellaria** (all orders)
d) secondary bilateral symmetry (some groups)
e) elongate sperm #
f) echinopleuteus larvae
8:
a) ossicles greatly reduced & isolated
b) fleshy body
c) elongation of body along oral-aboral axis
d) oral podia modified as tentacles
e) secondary bilateral symmetry (some groups)
f) single gonad #
g) auricularia larvae
# traits from Janies 2001 Can. J. Zool. 79:1232


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Copyright (c) 2005 by A. Richard Palmer. All rights reserved.
(revised Jan. 6, 2005)