Assignment 5: Answers

Assignment on Coral Reef Invertebrates.

1.) List five phyla of invertebrate animals that are found associated with coral reefs.
Any five of the following: Protozoa; Mesozoa; Porifera; Cnidaria; Platyhelminthes; Nemertinea; Nematoda; Mollusca; Arthropoda; Annelida; Sipuncula; Echiura; Pogonophora; Phoronida; Brachipoda; Ectoprocta; Echinodermata; Hemichordata.

2.) Choose two of the above phyla and find an inter-net site for each with pictures of coral reef species.
Phyla of Invertebrates found in Tropical Waters-Web sites:
http://www.starfish.ch/reef/echinoderms.html
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/shapeoflife/animals/porifera.html
http://www.cdislands.com/html/photos/photos_vir3.htm
http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/photos/shrimp1.html
http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/marlife/inverts/inverts.htm
http://www.seasky.org/reeflife/sea2.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm
http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/biology/biol_81a/invert/invert.html
http://www.coralrealm.com/,Mollusca
http://www.reefimages.com/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/porifera.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/echinodermata/echinolh.html
http://www.coralrealm.com/
http://www.underwaterplanet.com/Octo.jpg
http://www.underwaterplanet.com/Anemone%20City%20colors%202.jpg
http://clamsdirect.com/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/porifera.html
http://www.cdislands.com/photos_mexico/coz7/
http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/HBS/invertguide/species/anomia_nobilis.htm

3.) Indicate what the ecological niches are for each of the above two organisms (what do these organisms do for a "living?").
The ecological niches vary depending on the groups chosen. As animals, they are all "consumers." Some may be filter feeders, others are active predators, some are parasites, etc.