Cephalodiscus is a small genus of sessile hemichordates belonging to the class Pterobranchia. These colonial, tube-dwelling marine organisms are known for their unique lifestyle, in which individuals live within secreted tubular structures attached to rocky or deep-sea substrates. Each zooid possesses a set of feathery arms used for filter feeding. Although they are relatively simple […]
Rhabdopleura belongs to the class Pterobranchia and represents one of the simplest living hemichordates. It lives in colonies on hard marine substrates and secretes delicate tubes, called coenecia, in which individual zooids reside. Each zooid extends its tentaculated arms to filter feed, capturing suspended particles from the surrounding water. Because it shares important features with
Acorn worms in the genus Saccoglossus are members of the class Enteropneusta within the phylum Hemichordata. These worms feed on organic particles while burrowing through muddy or sandy soils in shallow sea environments. They are crucial to the recycling of nutrients and the turnover of sediment. Saccoglossus offers important information on early deuterostome evolution and
Balanoglossus Acorn worms in the genus Balanoglossus are members of the class Enteropneusta and phylum Hemichordata. These marine worms inhabit shallow coastal habitats, where they burrow into muddy or sandy soils and consume organic debris. Balanoglossus aids in understanding the evolutionary relationship between hemichordates and the earliest chordates since they exhibit a distinct segmentation of
