Exam 33: An Introduction to Invertebrates

The phylum Cycliophora was discovered in 1995. They are tiny organisms that live in large numbers on the outsides of the mouthparts and appendages of lobsters. The feeding stage permanently attaches to the lobster via an adhesive disk and collects scraps of food from its host's feeding by capturing the scraps in a current created by a ring of cilia. The body is saclike and has a U-shaped intestine that brings the anus close to the mouth. Cycliophorans are coelomates, do not moult (though their host does), and their embryos undergo spiral cleavage. -Which of these, if discovered among cycliophorans, would cause the most confusion concerning our current understanding of cycliophoran taxonomy?

The phylum Cycliophora was discovered in 1995. They are tiny organisms that live in large numbers on the outsides of the mouthparts and appendages of lobsters. The feeding stage permanently attaches to the lobster via an adhesive disk and collects scraps of food from its host's feeding by capturing the scraps in a current created by a ring of cilia. The body is saclike and has a U-shaped intestine that brings the anus close to the mouth. Cycliophorans are coelomates, do not moult (though their host does), and their embryos undergo spiral cleavage. -The feeding stage of cycliophorans ________.

A land snail, a clam, and an octopus all share

The sharp, 2 centimetre-long thorns of the crown-of-thorns sea star are its spines. These spines, unlike those of most other sea stars, contain a potent toxin. If it were discovered that crown-of-thorns sea stars do not make this toxin themselves, then the most likely alternative would be that this toxin is ________.

Toilets are a modern convenience that people often take for granted. In fact, they are helpful in preventing spread of disease because ________.

Which of the following is most likely to be aquatic?

Aphids are Hemiptera that suck phloem liquid from plants. Ants are often seen tapping the posterior end of the aphid and collecting the liquid that is released from the aphid's digestive system. In an effort to understand this interaction, several researchers measure the survival rates of aphid populations when ants were present and when they were excluded. Their results are shown. Which of the following conclusions is most likely correct?

Arthropod exoskeletons and mollusc shells both ________.

The water vascular system of echinoderms

Aphids are Hemiptera that suck phloem liquid from plants. Ants are often seen tapping the posterior end of the aphid and collecting the liquid that is released from the aphid's digestive system. In an effort to understand this interaction, several researchers measure the survival rates of aphid populations when ants were present and when they were excluded. Their results are shown. Imagine that you wished to discover if the ants protect the aphids from flying predators. You would exclude ants from the plants and count aphid population size under two conditions. Which of the following experiments would best help answer this question?

Echinoderms show enormous diversity in which of the following traits?

The sea slug Pteraeolidia ianthina can harbour living dinoflagellates (photosynthetic protists) in its skin. These endosymbiotic dinoflagellates reproduce quickly enough to maintain their populations. Low populations do not affect the sea slugs very much, but high populations (> 5 × 105 cells/mg of sea slug protein) can promote sea slug survival. Percent of sea slug respiratory carbon demand provided by indwelling dinoflagellates. -In the graph, the percent of the oxygen demand contributed by the dinoflagellates is greater than 100% during much of the year. What is the fate of this "excess" energy?

What would be the most effective method of reducing the incidence of blood flukes in a human population?

The phylum Cycliophora was discovered in 1995. They are tiny organisms that live in large numbers on the outsides of the mouthparts and appendages of lobsters. The feeding stage permanently attaches to the lobster via an adhesive disk and collects scraps of food from its host's feeding by capturing the scraps in a current created by a ring of cilia. The body is saclike and has a U-shaped intestine that brings the anus close to the mouth. Cycliophorans are coelomates, do not moult (though their host does), and their embryos undergo spiral cleavage. -Which of these features is least useful in assigning the phylum Cycliophora to a clade of animals?

What would be the best anatomical feature to look for to distinguish a gastropod from a chiton?

In terms of food capture, which sponge cell is most similar to the cnidocyte of a cnidarian?

Nudibranchs, a type of predatory sea slug, can have various protuberances (that is, extensions) on their dorsal surfaces. Rhinophores are paired structures, located close to the head, which bear many chemoreceptors. Dorsal plumules, usually located posteriorly, perform respiratory gas exchange. Cerata usually cover much of the dorsal surface and contain nematocysts at their tips. -The claws on the foremost trunk segment of centipedes have a function most similar to that of ________.

You find a multi-legged animal in your garden and want to determine if it is a centipede or a millipede. You take the animal to a university where a myriapodologist quickly tells you that you have found a centipede. Which of the following traits may have allowed her to make this distinction?

Which phylum is characterised by animals that have a segmented body?

A primary school science teacher decided to liven up the classroom with a saltwater aquarium. Knowing that saltwater aquaria can be quite a hassle, the teacher proceeded stepwise. First, the teacher conditioned the water. Next, the teacher decided to stock the tank with various marine invertebrates, including a polychaete, a siliceous sponge, several bivalves, a shrimp, several sea anemones of different types, a colonial hydra, a few coral species, an ectoproct, a sea star, and several herbivorous gastropod varieties. Lastly, she added some vertebrates-a parrot fish and a clown fish. She arranged for daily feedings of copepods and feeder fish. -Normally, the clown fish readily swims among the tentacles of the sea anemones; the parrot fish avoids them. One hypothesis for the clown fish's apparent immunity is that they slowly build a tolerance to the sea anemone's toxin. A second hypothesis is that a chemical in the mucus that coats the clown fish prevents the nematocysts from being triggered. Which of the following graphs supports the second, but not the first, of these hypotheses?