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Gastrotricha
Sign in to saveAlso known as hairy backs, gastrotrich, gastrotrichs
The gastrotrichs (phylum Gastrotricha), commonly referred to as hairybellies or hairybacks, are a group of microscopic (0.06–3.0 mm), cylindrical, acoelomate animals, and are widely distributed and abundant in freshwater and marine environments. They are mostly benthic and live within the periphyton, the layer of tiny organisms and detritus that is found on the seabed and the beds of other water bodies. The majority live on and between particles of sediment or on other submerged surfaces, but a few species are terrestrial and live on land in the film of water surrounding grains of soil. G
OverviewAI-generated
Gastrotricha is a phylum within the kingdom Animalia, commonly referred to as gastrotrichs. The taxon was described by Metschnikoff in 1865 and holds an accepted status in biological classification. These organisms inhabit marine, brackish, and freshwater environments.
Records for this phylum are held by institutions including CAS and USNM, with occurrences documented in the United States. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists 31,057 occurrences for the taxon, while iDigBio maintains 72 records. The subject is referenced by 323 other encyclopedia articles.
Synthesized by Vinony from 20 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
8 sectionsContents
- Etymology and taxonomy
- Anatomy
- Distribution and habitat
- Behaviour and ecology
- Reproduction and lifespan
- Classification
- References
- External links
The gastrotrichs (phylum Gastrotricha), commonly referred to as hairybellies or hairybacks, are a group of microscopic (0.06–3.0 mm), cylindrical, acoelomate animals, and are widely distributed and abundant in freshwater and marine environments. They are mostly benthic and live within the periphyton, the layer of tiny organisms and detritus that is found on the seabed and the beds of other water bodies. The majority live on and between particles of sediment or on other submerged surfaces, but a few species are terrestrial and live on land in the film of water surrounding grains of soil. Gastrotrichs are divided into two orders, the Macrodasyida which are marine (except for two species), and the Chaetonotida, some of which are marine and some freshwater. As of 2019, more than 860 species of gastrotrichs have been described.
Gastrotrichs have a simple body plan with a head region, with a brain and sensory organs, and a trunk with a simple gut and the reproductive organs. They have adhesive glands with which they can anchor themselves to the substrate and cilia with which they move around. They feed on detritus, sucking up organic particles with their muscular pharynx. They are hermaphrodites, the marine species producing eggs which develop directly into miniature adults. The freshwater species are parthenogenetic, producing unfertilised eggs, and at least one species is viviparous. Gastrotrichs mature with great rapidity and have lifespans of only a few days.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Gastrotricha” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.