Phylum
Phylum Meaning Common name Distinguishing characteristic Species described
Acanthocephala Thorny head Thorny-headed worms Reversible spiny proboscis that bears many rows of hooked spines 1,420
Annelida Little ring :306 Segmented worms Multiple circular segment 17,000 + extant
Arthropoda Jointed foot Insects , crustaceans Segmented bodies and jointed limbs , with Chitin exoskeleton 1,250,000 + extant ; 20,000+ extinct
Brachiopoda Arm foot Lampshells Lophophore and pedicle 300 -500 extant ; 12,000+ extinct
Bryozoa Moss animals Moss animals , sea mats , ectoprocts Lophophore , no pedicle , ciliated tentacles , anus outside ring of cilia 6,000 extant
Chaetognatha Longhair jaw Arrow worms Chitinous spines either side of head , fins approx . 100 extant
Chordata With a cord Chordates Hollow dorsal nerve cord , notochord , pharyngeal slits , endostyle , post- anal tail approx . 55,000 +
Cnidaria Stinging nettle Cnidarians Nematocysts ( stinging cells ) approx . 16,000
Ctenophora Comb bearer Comb jellies Eight comb rows of fused cilia approx . 100 -150 extant
Cycliophora Wheel carrying Symbion Circular mouth surrounded by small cilia , sac-like bodies 3 +
Echinodermata Spiny skin Echinoderms Fivefold radial symmetry in living forms , mesodermal calcified spines approx . 7,500 extant ; approx . 13,000 extinct
Entoprocta Inside anus Goblet worms Anus inside ring of cilia approx . 150
Gastrotricha Hairy stomach Gastrotrich worms Two terminal adhesive tubes approx . 690
Gnathostomulida Jaw orifice Jaw worms approx . 100
Hemichordata Half cord Acorn worms , hemichordates Stomochord in collar , pharyngeal slits approx . 130 extant
Kinorhyncha Motion snout Mud dragons Eleven segments , each with a dorsal plate approx . 150
Loricifera Corset bearer Brush heads Umbrella-like scales at each end approx . 122
Micrognathozoa Tiny jaw animals Limnognathia Accordion -like extensible thorax 1
Mollusca Soft Mollusks / molluscs Muscular foot and mantle round shell 85,000 + extant ; 80,000+ extinct
Nematoda Thread like Round worms , thread worms Round cross section , keratin cuticle 25,000
Known phyla -- Animals
Main article : Animal Total numbers are estimates ; figures from different authors vary wildly , not least because some are based on described species , [ 14 ] some on extrapolations to numbers of undescribed species . For instance , around 25,000–27,000 species of nematodes have been described , while published estimates of the total number of nematode species include 10,000–20,000 ; 500,000 ; 10 million ; and 100 million . [ 15 ] Protostome Bilateria Deuterostome Basal/disputed Others
In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants accepts the terms as equivalent. Depending on definitions, the animal kingdom Animalia or Metazoa contains approximately 35 phyla, the plant kingdom Plantae contains about 14, and the fungus kingdom Fungi contains about 8 phyla. Current research in phylogenetics is uncovering the relationships between phyla, which are contained in larger clades, like Ecdysozoa and Embryophyta.