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Higher taxa:  Life   Cnidaria   Global map IDnature guide: Groups_Cnidaria We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. Image, University of Colorado, Denver

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© Jim Porter, University of Georgia, 2005-2007 Acropora palmata, adult	© Jim Porter, University of Georgia, 2005-2007 Acropora palmata, juvenile
© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Aurelia	© Public Domain Porpita porpita, Blue button, from NOAAs Ocean Explorer
© Public Domain Sea anemones at the aquarium in Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England

Kinds

Anthozoa -- Corals, Sea anemones, Sea pens, Hexacorallians, Hexacorals Cubozoa -- Sea wasps, Box jellyfish Hydrozoa -- Hydras, Hydroids, Hydrozoans Scyphozoa -- Cup animals, Jellyfish

Overview

The aquatic Phylum Cnidaria includes coral, hydra, jellyfish, and anemones. Cnidarians occur in two very different body forms, the medusa form and the polyp form. The typical jellyfish is often found in its medusae form. They usually occur in bell-shaped bodies lacking a true head and organs, but they are able to swim or float freely. Cnidarians in the polyp form include coral, hydra, and anemones. Polyps are sessile creatures meaning they are permanently attached to substrate and feed only when prey flows through their tubular bodies. Most cnidarian creatures have a life cycle that alternates between the sexually reproductive medusa stage and the asexual polyp stage, however some cnidarian classes occur in only one of the two stages.

Kinds

Corals Sea anemones Jellyfish Hydras Click on image to go to that group.

Phylogeny

Tree of Life web project Cubozoa -- Sea wasps, Box jellyfish Scyphozoa -- Cup animals, Jellyfish Anthozoa -- Anemones, Corals Hydrozoa -- Hydroids, Hydrozoans

Links to other sites

Biological Sciences at Paisley -- General Cnidarian information

References

Animal Diversity Web

Acknowledgements

Sam Cincotta, University of Georgia, Athens I thank John Pickering and Rosemary Kim for their assistance with the development of this page.