#xenacoelomorpha

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Xenacoelomorpha

(Sources - 1, 2, 3)

Xenacoelomorpha is a small phylum of bilaterian invertebrates consisting of two sister groups: xenoturbellids and acoelomorphs.

These are small, flat worm-like animals found in the sediments of marine and brackish environments. Some have even been found near hydrothermal vents at depths of up to 4 km (2.5 mi). All species of Xenacoelomorph are hermaphroditic and reproduce sexually. Interestingly enough, they lack an excretory system, yet all genes related to the excretory system are present… except for Osr, which is needed for excretory system development. They also lack a coelom, or body cavity. They have a digestive system but it lacks nerve cells. All in all, a little animal someone forgot to finish.

How do you feel about this phylum?

One or more of my favorite animals is in this phylum

I love one or more of these animals

I like one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

I hate all of these animals

Voting ended onSep 10, 2024

Propaganda under the cut:

Folks I just found out about these today, uh

Check the links in the sources they can tell you more than I, I’m sure

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 1.5

🦠 XENACOELOMORPHA vs. MICROGNATHOZOA 🦠

Xenacoelomorpha

Micrognathozoa

Voting ended onFeb 6, 2024

Xenacoelomorpha: Small, flat, worm-like animals that live in marine and brackish sediments, and sometimes around hydrothermal vents. They can be free-living, symbiotic, or parasitic. A unique feature is that their stomachs lack nerve cells, unlike many other animals. Their evolutionary relationship to the rest of Animalia has been highly debated, and very little is known about their lifestyles.

Micrognathozoa: Presumably the smallest phylum, this group consists of a single species, Limnognathia maerski. In addition to being the smallest phylum, it may also be the smallest animal, with an average length of 100 micrometers. Despite this, it has complex jaws with 15 independently moving parts. Since this phylum has not been well-studied, all individuals that have been collected so far have been female.

[elementalgod-aj]

Anthro Allies Remastered (Part 1)

Reuploading the Anthro Allies but this time in group pictures.

first things first from Humble beginnings of evolution

Porifera

Domb (Barrel Sponge)

Squeeze (Yellow Tube Sponge)

Wud (Blue Comb Sponge)

Ctenophore

Nee-Ko (Cigar Comb Jelly)

Ken-Po (Arctic Comb Jelly)

Dede (Glower Comb Jelly)

Placozoa

Yas (Trichoplex)

Xenacoelomorpha

Xenaco (Xenoturbella Japonica)

Cnidarians (Note This picture doesn't show the actual sizes of Lavey and Zoralia who are much larger)

Zoralia (Hard Coral Reef)

Pansy (Sea Pansy)

Fan (Sea Fan)

Whip (Sa Whip)

Pan (Sea pan)

Nieo (Magnificent Sea Anemone)

Divide (Aggregating Sea Anemone)

Lavey (Giant Siphonophore)

Addison (Sea Nettle Jellyfish)

Chionex (Box Jelly)

Next

(For More Information About The Earthdemons, Neo demons, The Anthro allies , the O'Kong family and more of theses characters as well as updates please visit the @the-earthdemon-hub for more)

[todropscience]

this.... this a new species of Xenoturbella, called japonica, it was dredged from the seafloor of the western Pacific. The finding are published in BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Xenoturbella aka churro worms lacks certain features common among more complex animals, such as a centralized nervous system, kidneys, and an anus (i.e., its digestive system has only one opening). For this reason, these primitive worms are important for understanding the origins of these structures, and the evolution of early animals.

- Japan scientists used micro-computed tomography to reveal the inner details of the worm, and discovered its "frontal pore," which traditional methods can not capture.

Thus, these primitive worms are important for understanding the origins of these structures. In the new study, researchers revealed the presence of a frontal pore that is continuous with the ventral glandular network. Also, molecular studies revealed, that, like other species of Xenoturbella, X. japonica likely feeds on marine bivalves. 

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 1

🦠 XENACOELOMORPHA vs. HEMICHORDATA 🪱

Xenacoelomorpha

Hemichordata

Voting ended onJan 28, 2024

Xenacoelomorpha: Small, flat, worm-like animals that live in marine and brackish sediments, and sometimes around hydrothermal vents. They can be free-living, symbiotic, or parasitic. A unique feature is that their stomachs lack nerve cells, unlike many other animals. Their evolutionary relationship to the rest of Animalia has been highly debated, and very little is known about their lifestyles.

Hemichordata: Acorn Worms. These marine burrowing worms are both deposit feeders (eating sediment) and occasionally filter-feeders or detritivores. The acorn-like proboscis on their head helps them with burrowing and may help funnel sediment to the mouth, which is between the "acorn" and the "collar". Due to their unexpected relation to Echinodermata, these animals are used as a comparison to study the evolution of early Chordate zygote growth.

[camellia-fav]

via @xenacoelomorpha

[gltzgghln]

good morning last night i was up till 2 in the morning reading about xenacoelomorphs because they're just so darn cute and interesting

sweet lil pancakes

[todropscience]

This marine worm called Xenoturbella churro was recently discovered at 1750 m deep in cold seeps in the Gulf of California. and it is one of four animals resembling flatworms, with bright fuchsia color.  The genus Xenoturbella, is so rare that for 60 years researchers could not work out what it was - or where it fitted into the family tree. So it was related to mollusc and echinoderms. 

YES!  This marine worm with 10 cm in lenght is called Xenoturbella churro after the Latin American fried dough snack.

(Churro attached in case you didn't know what is this delicacy)

Xenoturbella only have a body with an open mouth. They have no brain, gills, eyes, kidneys or anus, and now seem to be evolutionarily simple instead of losing these characteristics over time.  The discovery of four new species in the Pacific has enabled scientists to conclude that this animal belongs to one of the earliest branches of life.

Reference: Rouse et al. 2016. New deep-sea species of Xenoturbella and the position of Xenacoelomorpha. Nature