Phylum Annelida

The phylum Annelida, known as the segmented worms inhabit the sea, fresh water and land. Few live as parasites on marine or land animals. Non are recorded as plant parasites. Soil inhabitants are usual small in size when compared with those live in sea which reach 3 meters. The parasitic forms are smaller reaching 20 cm. as leeches. leeches.

Characteristic of Phylum Annelida: Annelida:

1. Members of the Annelida are triploblastic coelomate animals. animals. 2. The body is cylindrical and a bilateral symmetry and is divided into a linear series of segments (somites or metameres) internally and externally. Segments are externally demarcated by integumental grooves, and serial repetition of appendages, setae and pores.

3. The body is covered by a moist non-chitinous cuticle that never nonshed or molted, overlaying a columnar epithelium containing unicellular gland cells and sensory cells. 4. The body cavity between the alimentary canal and the body wall is a true coelom which used as a storage area for gametes and acts as hydrostatic for locomotion. 5. The annelids have complete digestive tract which starts with the mouth and ends with the anus. 6.The excretory organs are paired segmental nephredia. 7.The circulatory system is at least partially, closed in most annelids and is composed of a dorsal vessel that pumps blood anteriorly, a ventral vessel that transports blood posteriorly, and segmental vessels that supply various organs and deliver blood back to the dorsal vessel.

8.The nervous system consists of a pair of dorsal anterior cerebal

ganglia (brain), connected to a mid-ventral double nerve cord, with a midganglion and pairs of lateral nerves in each segment
9. Most annelids have no special organs for gas exchange and

respiration occurs directly through the body wall.

10. 10. Reproduction is sexual or a sexual. A sexual is by fragmentation,

budding or fission. The sexes usually separate, but oligochaetes and leeches are hermaphroditic with gonads and gonoducts in few segments. There is copulation with reciprocal sperm transfer, and the eggs are deposited within a cocoon secreted by certain glands.

Classification of Annelida:
This phylum includes four classes and many orders:

1- Class Polychaeta:
Marine annelids in which setae are carried on lateral segmental parapodia. This class includes two orders; order Errontia, and order Sedentaria.
1- Very similar to oligochaeta 2- Most are marine 3- Have paddle or ridge-like extensions on segments called parapodia ridge4- Aid in gas exchange and locomotion

Lugworm

2- Class Oligochaeta: Oligochaeta:

Fresh water annelids and the terrestrial species known as earthworm. earthworm. Parapodia absent but setae present. Metamerism well present. developed. developed. Prostomium is a simple lobe without sensory or feeding structures. structures. Hermaphroditic, with gonads present in a few specific segments. segments. Epidermis of certain segments modified as a gland for the secretion of a cocoon. cocoon. It includes two orders; order Togadrillae, and order Microdrillae. orders; Microdrillae.

ALLOLOBOPHORA

Giant Earthworm Amazon Basin

3- Class Hirudinea:
Marine, freshwater and terrestrial annelids known as leeches. It leeches. includes four orders; Orders Acanthobdellida, order Rhynchobdellida, orders; order Gnathobdellida, and order Herpobdellida. Herpobdellida.

Class Hirudinea (leeches)

4- Class Archiannelida - Economic Importance of Annelida: Annelida:

Earthworms have some unique functions in the soil. Their large burrows allow rain water easy entry into the soil, increasing the infiltration rate of soil. This prevents water erosion and lets water enter the rooting zone where it can be used by plants. Their burrows also allow roots to move easily through the soil into new spaces. Soil that has been worked by earthworms has a stable crumb-like structure crumbwhich is less likely to blow away in the wind. Earthworms are considered very important in soil organic matter cycling. Certain species are responsible for burying surface residue, while other species are actively involved in the decomposition process, making available important nutrients for other living organisms in the soilsoil- like plants.

Most leeches are sanguivorous, that is they feed as blood sucking parasites on preferred hosts. If the preferred food is not available most hosts. leeches will feed on other classes of host. Some feed on the blood of host. humans and other mammals, while others parasites fish, frogs, turtles or birds. Some leeches will even take a meal from other sanguivorous birds. leeches which may die after the attack. attack. Sanguivorous leeches can ingest several times their own weight in blood at one meal. After feeding the leech retires to a dark spot to meal. digest its meal. Digestion is slow and this enables the leech to survive meal. during very long fasting periods. periods.

1- Most inhabit fresh water, or moist terrestrial environments 2- Feed on small invertebrates or are parasitic 3- Have significant medicinal value in treating bruising, and as

a source of Pharmaceuticals

The Leech

Structure of the earth worm Allolobophora (Source: Text Book of Zoology, 1981)

Phylum Mollusca
The phylum Mollusca includes some 65.000 living and 35.000 fossil 65. 35. species. species. Members of Mollusca live either in marine, freshwater or lands. lands. Some of the marine species are consumed by man as sea food. food. Freshwater species may act as intermediate host for many parasites. parasites. The terrestrial species may act as pest on the economic crops. crops.

Characteristics of Phylum Mollusca: Mollusca:

1. The body of a Mollusk is bilaterally symmetrical, un-segmented symmetrical, un-

and usually covered by a shell of one piece (Snails), two pieces (Clams) or eight pieces (Chitons) secreted by the underlying integument, called the mantle.
2. The ventral body wall specialized as muscular foot is the locomotor organ of most mollusks. Primitively, the foot is a flat creeping sole, as in mollusks. snails and chitons, but it is laterally compressed in clams and divided into arms or tentacles in squids and octopods. octopods.

3. The shell and mantle overhang the body, creating a mantle cavity that houses the gills of aquatic species and form a lung in land snails and secret the shell (the shell absent in some). some). 4. Surface epithelium usually ciliated, bearing mucous glands and sensory nerve endings. 5. Gaseous exchange by gills, lungs, mantle or body surface. surface. 6. A great variety of diets and many modes of feeding are found among mollusk. Except for clams, most species employ as a mollusk.

feeding organ a unique beltlike structure bearing chitinous teeth called a redula. The radula can be protruded to scrape or tear and redula. pull food into the mouth. mouth.
7. The circulatory system is open, and the heart, which lies within open,

pericardial coelom, consists of a pumping ventricle and paired auricles that receive blood from the gills. gills.

8. The excretory organs are metanephridia usually two, that drain the coelom and empty into the cavity. cavity. 9.

The nervous system consists of a pair pedal chords to the foot and visceral cords supplying the organs of the mantle and visceral mass. The pedal and mass. visceral cords unite interiorly in a cerebral ganglion, which supplies nerves to various head structures. Sense organs include one or two statocysts in the foot, structures. one or two pairs of head tentacles, a pair of eyes and a pair of osphradia, the last being sense organs that monitor the ventilating current passing through the mantle cavity. cavity.

10. 10. Mollusks may have separate sexes or may be hermaphroditic, and paired gonads are adjacent to the pericardial coelom. Primitively, the gametes exit coelom. through nephridia, but separate and often- complex gonoducts are usually oftenpresent. present. In many groups, copulation occurs and the eggs are fertilized internally or within the mantle cavity. The earliest larval stage is a trochophore, but in many cavity. snails and clams there is only a later larval stage, call a veliger. veliger.

Structure of a snail related to prosobranchia. (Source: General Zoology 1978) 1978)

Classification of the Mollusca:

This phylum includes 7 classes and many orders:
1. Class Gastropoda:

Snails. Mantle and visceral mass exhibit some degree of torsion, shell typically spiraled. Foot ftattened. and head well developed. a- Order Prosobranchia: Prosobranchia: b- Order Opisthobranchia: Opisthobranchia: c- Order Pulmonata

* Class Gastropoda (univalvia) Achatina (Japanese Garden snail)

2. Class Polyplacophora or Amphineura:

Chitons. Chitons. Body greatly flattened dorso-ventrally. Head reduced. Shell dorso-ventrally. reduced. composed of eight linearly arranged, overlapping plates. Marine. plates. Marine. 3. Class Aplacophora: Small group of aberrant marine mollusks with wormlike bodies and no shells. shells. 4. Class Monoplacophora: Small group of marine deep-water species. Body flattened dorso deepspecies. ventrally; ventrally; Shieldlike shell. Various organs replicated, eight pairs of shell. retractor nuscles, five or six pairs of gills, six pairs of nephridia and two pairs of auricles. auricles. 5. Class Bivalva, or Pelecypoda: Clames, or bivalves. Body greatly flatterend laterally. Shell composed of two lateral valves hinged dorsally. Head reduced. a- Order Protobranchia. b- Order Lamellibranchia. c- Order Septibranchia.1 Septibranchia.1

6. Class Scaphopoda:
Tusk or tooth shells. Burrowing marine mollusks having a tusk like shell open at each end.
7. Class Caphalopoda:

Nautilus, cuttlefish, squids and octopods. Marine, mostly swimming mollusks, having the foot divided into tentacles, or arms.

Class Cephalopoda- Loligo (squid), Octopus, Nautilus Cephalopoda-

- Economic Importance of Mollusca:

Some mollusks utilized by man as food specially those live in marine water. Some terrestrial mollusks act as pests on plants feeding on leaves, buds, fruits and trunks causing serious mechanical damage. Fresh water mollusks act as intermediate hosts for many species of liver, intestinal, lung, and blood flukes.

Helix aspersa (land or garden snail) Order Pulmonata Class Gastropoda

The snail has a soft body that is covered with a hard spirally coiled shell which helps the snail to protect from its enemies. A snail has a radula which contains thousands of denticles-teeth that are projected denticlesfrom the mouth opening and drawn along rocks and leaves. This allows the snail to browse for food in places such as gardens. Salivary glands secrete mucus into the buccal cavity to catch food scraped off by the radula, then the cilia rotates the contents inside the stomach. The snail moves slowly using the muscular foot, the muscles of this foot move in a backward wavelike motion that propels the snail forward. forward. As a snail moves, it pours out a track of sticky slim which allows easier movement for the snail. snail. Generally snails need to be kept cool in a moist and shady environment. environment. They need a mild climate (60-75 C) with a high humidity. 60humidity. They hibernate when the temperature fall below 45 F and rises above 80 F or conditions become too dry, the snail aestivate. Soil moisture aestivate. content of 80% is favorable because it will promote good snail activity, 80% growth and to lay eggs. eggs.

Life cycle:
Snails of Helix are hermaphrodites. They must mate with another hermaphrodites. snail of the same species though to lay eggs (not just with themselves). themselves). Some snails are females one mating season and males the next. Some next. act as both fertilize each other at the same time. The snail lives on time. average 5-10 years. It normally takes about 2 years for a snail to fully years. mature (lay eggs/ reproduce). The snail shots a love dart during reproduce). courtship which stimulate the partner. In order to lay eggs, 2 inches of partner. dirt is required. This snail lay eggs in a worm, damp climate. Eggs required. climate. hatch between 2-4 weeks depending on temperature. temperature.

Helix aspersa

Feeding behaviour:
The diet of Helix sp. Is mainly vegetative, dandelions hibiscus, lettuce, sp. citrus, apples, artichokes and cucumbers. The prefer juicy leaves. The cucumbers. leaves. feeding season is when the snail eat the most. Snails don't eat every day most. and the amount of consumed food depends on the weather and temperature. temperature.

Treatment and Prevention: Prevention:

Pruning tree skirts, Banding tree trunk with copper soil or a basic copper sulfate slurry, putting out poison bait to reduce their populations. Remove populations. any thing snails may hide under. During the night, place a board on the under. ground near damaged plants. Elevate the board with four stones placed plants. under the corners. The snails will take shelter under the board. In the corners. board. morning remove the board, collect snails and destroy them them.

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