Loricifera

Loricifera is a small phylum of marine sediment-dwelling animals with about a dozen known species. The phylum was discovered in 1983 by Reinhardt Kristensen. The animals have a head, mouth and digestive system as well as a set of specialized umbrella skeleton like scales at each end that are used to move the animals. There is no circulatory system and no endocrine system. The body cavity is a pseudocoelom with a mouth and an anus. The animals are bisexual and probably oviparous. They have no fossil record.

Related Topics:
Phylum - Sediment - Animal - 1983 - Reinhardt Kristensen - Endocrine - Pseudocoelom - Oviparous

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Their closest relatives are presumably the Kinorhyncha and Priapulida with which they constitute the taxon scalidophora. Interestingly stem scalidophorans are now presumably known as fossil embryos - the two known species have been placed in the genus Markuelia.

Related Topics:
Kinorhyncha - Priapulida - Markuelia

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