What is the classification of invertebrates?

There are eight different classifications of invertebrates that you should be aware of so that it will be easier for you to distinguish one over the other. The different classifications are the following: Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Mollusca, Annelida, Arthropoda, and Echinodermata. Each of these classifications will come with their own unique features that will set them apart over the others. Porifera are usually composed of sea sponges.

Those that are under Mollusca usually come with shells such as snails and clams. Arthropods are usually composed of insects and also spiders. It will help to know the differences between vertebrates so that you will start to see the similarities of the different invertebrates when they are all classified according to their features.

In the animal kingdoms, animals are divided into 2 groups. The vertebrate and invertebrate animals based on the presence of the backbone and internal skeleton. Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone or internal skeleton. They make up over 95% of all animal species in the world. Invertebrate animals are further classified into phyla. There are over 30 phyla dedicated to invertebrates. However, many of these invertebrate species are extinct. The evidence of their existence is only present in fossil records.

There are eight major exclusively invertebrate phyla that are still in existence today. These phyla include: Arthropoda: spiders, crustaceans, centipedes, and insects Annelida: Earthworms and leeches Cnidaria: Hydras, jellyfishes, sea anemones, and corals Echinodermata: sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars Mollusca: snails, clams, squids Nematoda: roundworms Platyhelminthes: flatworms, tapeworms, flukes Porifera: Sponges