Basis of Classification

Criteria for animal classification are:

1. Symmetry: Animals are radially symmetrical, bilaterally symmetrical or
asymmetrical. 
2. Radial symmetry: A symmetry where any plane passing through the central axis divides
the body into two equal halves is called the radial symmetry. Examples are
Coelenterates, ctenophores and echinoderms.

Bilateral symmetry: In bilateral symmetry, only a single plane divides the body into two
equal halves, e.g. Annelids, Arthropods, Molluscs, etc.

However, some animals do not show any symmetry i.e. their body can’t be divided into
two halves in any plane passing through the centre. Such animals are said to be
asymmetrical, e.g. Poriferan.
2. Segmentation: Animals may or may not have segmented body. 
3. Appendages: Animals may have organs or parts attached to the trunk or outer
body wall. 
4. Skeleton: Animals may have exoskeleton or endoskeleton.
5. Embryonic development:
6. Circulatory system: Animal may have open or closed circulatory system.
7. Body cavity: Animals may be coelomate, psuedocoelomate or acoelomate. 
8. Habitat: Animals may be terrestrial or aquatic. Aquatic animals may live in
either fresh water or sea water.
9. Germ layers: Animals may be diploblastic or triploblastic.

Classification of Animal Kingdom

 Sharma Classes

R.H. Whittaker organized organisms into five kingdoms. He classified organisms

based on cell structure, mode and source of nutrition and body design. The five
kingdoms proposed by Whittaker are Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.
In this article we will learn more about Classification of Animal Kingdom.
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Animalia constitutes all animals. Amongst the five kingdoms, the largest
kingdom is the animal kingdom. Animals are multicellular eukaryotes. However, like
plants, they do not possess chlorophyll or a cell wall. Therefore, members of the
animal kingdom exhibit a heterotrophic mode of nutrition. Kingdom Animalia has
been classified into ten different subphyla based on their body design or
differentiation.
The different phylum of the Classification of Animal Kingdom are as follows:
1. Porifera
2. Coelenterata (Cnidaria)
3. Ctenophora
4. Platyhelminthes
5. Nematoda
6. Annelida
7. Arthropoda
8. Mollusca
9. Echinodermata
10. Hemichordata
11. Chordata
 Phylum Porifera
Porifera means organisms with holes. They are commonly known as Sponges.
Features of the poriferan are:
 Non-motile, multicellular organisms with a hard outer skeleton.
 Have a porous body.
 Pores on the bodies create a canal system which helps in the circulation of substances.
 Not differentiated into head and tail; do not have a well-developed organ or organ system.
 Include marine habitat.
 Examples of phylum Porifera include- Spongilla, Sycon.
Phylum Coelenterata (Cnidaria)
The term Coelenteratais derived from the Greek word “kilos” which means hollow-
bellied. Their features are:
 Have a hollow body cavity.
 The body is differentiated into two ends.
 Includes all aquatic animals.
 The body is made of two layers of cells: inner and outer linings.
 Live in colonies (corals) as well as solitary (Sea anemone).
 Examples of phylum Coelenterata include – Hydra, Jellyfish.
Phylum Ctenophora
 Ctenophora are also known as comb jellies
 Ctenophora composed of two layers of tissue known as ectoderm and endoderm
 Epidermis is made of Sensory cells, mucus secreting cells, lasso cells and nerve cells
 Gastrodermis is layered tissue with Long storage cells, germ cells and photo cells
 Tentacles are present.
 Solid and adhesive cells are called lasso cells which help in catching prey
 Examples of phylum Ctenophora include– Hormiphora (The Sea Walnut), Pleurobrachia
(The Sea gooseberry) and Beroe (Swimming eye of cat)
Phylum Platyhelminthes
Platyhelminthes are commonly known as flatworms. Their features are:
 Dorsoventrally flattened body.
 Complex and have differentiated body structure.
 Tissues are differentiated from three layers of cells and are triploblastic.
 Do not have a true internal cavity or coelom.
 Have bilateral symmetry.
 Either free-living (Planaria) or parasitic (liver flukes).
 Examples of phylum Platyhelminthes include -Tapeworm, Planaria.
Phylum Nematoda
Phylum Nematoda consists of nematodes or roundworms. Their features are:
 Nematodes have a cylindrical body.
 Bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic.
 Have pseudocoelom, a false body cavity.
 Parasitic and causes diseases such as elephantiasis, ascariasis.
 Examples of phylum Nematoda include – Ascaris, Wuchereria.
Phylum Annelida
Annelids are commonly known as segmented or ringed worms. They have the
following features:
 Have a segmented cylindrical body.
 The body is differentiated into head and tail.
 Bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic.
 Have a true body cavity.
 Habitat: marine, freshwater and land.
 Examples of phylum Annelida include – Earthworm, Leech.
Phylum Arthropoda
Arthropod means jointed legs. Animals which have jointed appendages belong to
this phylum. This is the largest phylum in the animal kingdom. Other features are:
 They are bilaterally symmetrical.
 Have jointed appendages, exoskeleton and a segmented body.
 Have well-differentiated organ and organ system.
 Have an open circulatory system, but do not have differentiated blood vessels.
 Examples of phylum Arthropoda include – Spiders, butterflies, and mosquitoes.
Phylum Mollusca
Phylum Mollusca consists of a large group of animals. Features are:
 Bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic.
 Less segmented body.
 Well-developed organ and organ system.
 Typically, open circulatory system.
 Limbs are present.
 Examples of phylum Mollusca include- Snails and octopus.
Phylum Echinodermata
The term Echinodermata is derived from the Greek words, echinos meaning
hedgehog and derma meaning skin. Thus, echinoderms are spiny-skinned animals.
 Radial symmetry and triploblastic.
 Have true coelom.
 Have hard calcium carbonate skeleton structure.
 Free-living marine animals.
 Examples of phylum Echinodermata include- Sea urchins, starfish.
Phylum Hemichordata
The characteristics of phylum Hemichordata are as follows:
 The body is soft, fragile, and divided into a proboscis.
 The epidermis is single-layered.
 It comprises worm-like marine animals with an organ-system level of organization.
 They have an open circulatory system.
 They respire through gills since they are marine.
 They have separate sexes and external fertilization is seen.
 Development is direct.
 Examples of phylum Hemichordata include- Balanoglossus, Saccoglossus, Cephalodiscus.
Phylum Chordata
The Chordates possess the following characteristics:
 They are bilaterally symmetrical, triploblastic with an organ-system level of classification.
 They possess a notochord and a nerve cord.
 The circulatory system is closed type.
 Phylum Chordata can be divided into the following sub-phyla: Urochordata, Cephalochordata
& Vertebrata
 Examples of phylum chordata include- Amphibia, Reptilia & fishes

Solved Questions For You

Q: What are the smallest birds and the largest birds?

Ans.  Smallest Bird – Humming Bird; Largest Bird – Ostrich

Q: Centipedes and prawns belong to phylum Annelida. Is it true?

Ans.  False. Centipedes and Prawns belong to the Phylum

Arthropoda, as they show the characteristic features of jointed legs;
bodies of these animals are divided into head, thorax, and abdomen.

FAQ’s for You

Q1.The biggest class of animal kingdom is?

Answer: Insecta is a class of invertebrates. They are placed within

the phylum Arthropoda. The characteristics of group Insecta are that
they have six legs or three pairs of legs.
These legs contain joint segments. The body of an insect is made up
of three parts. Each insect has one pair of antennae or feelers which
helps the insect to find food.
They have their body covered with the exoskeleton made up of
chitin. Insects have one or two pairs of wings. Insects are cold-
blooded. They have no lungs, but small openings on their bodies.
Insects lay many eggs. Most insects go through a life cycle called
metamorphosis.
They are among the most diverse groups of animals in the world.
There are more than a million species of insects. They are found in
all environments. It represents more than half of all living organisms.
It is the largest class of animal kingdom.

Q2. Second largest phylum of animal kingdom is?

Answer: Mollusca composes the 2nd largest phylum of animal

kingdom after arthropods, which is the largest phylum in the animal
kingdom. Around 85,000 species of molluscs are recognised.
Molluscs is the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all
the named marine organisms. They are highly diverse, not just in size
and in anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and in habitat.
Q3. Kingdom Animalia is characterised by?

Answer: The main criteria for classification used by Whittaker

includes cell structure, thallus organization, mode of nutrition,
reproduction and phylogenetic relationships. So, the absence of cell
wall is one of the main characteristics of animal kingdom.

Q4. The total number of species included in the animal kingdom

are about?

Answer: Kingdom Animalia consists of organisms that range from

the simplest of the animal forms to the most complex.
Currently 1.7 million living organisms are known to science. Out of
these 1.2 million are animals and about 0.5 millions.