Entoprocta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Entoprocta |
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Entoprocta
Nitsche, 1869
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Entoprocta (say: En-toh-PROK-tuh) are also called Kamptozoa. They are a group of tiny water animals. Most are very small, from 0.1 to 7 millimeters long. That's about the size of a grain of sand to a small ant!
These animals usually stay in one place. They look like a goblet or cup on a long stem. They have a ring of tentacles at the top. These tentacles help them catch food from the water. Both their mouth and their anus are inside this ring of tentacles.
Most Entoprocta live in groups called colonies. Almost all of the 150 known species live in the ocean. A few kinds live alone and can move very slowly.
Contents
What Are Entoprocts Like?
Entoprocts are known as "filter-feeders." This means they get their food by filtering tiny bits from the water. Their tentacles have tiny hairs called cilia. These cilia move to create water currents. The currents bring food particles right to their mouth.
They look a bit like another group of animals called Bryozoa. But there's a key difference! For Entoprocts, both their mouth and anus are inside their tentacle crown. For Bryozoa, the anus is outside the tentacles.
How Do Entoprocts Reproduce?
Entoprocts can make new babies in a few ways. Some species release their eggs into the water. Other species keep their eggs safe inside their bodies. These eggs grow in special "brood chambers." Some even have parts that work like a placenta to feed the growing eggs.
When the babies hatch, they are called larvae. These larvae swim around for a short time. Then, they find a surface to settle on. They change into their adult form, which is called metamorphosis. During this change, their insides often twist around. This makes sure their mouth and anus face upwards.
Both colonial and solitary Entoprocts can also make copies of themselves. This is a type of cloning. They can grow new individuals from parts of their body.
Who Eats Entoprocts?
Even tiny animals have predators! Some sea slugs, called nudibranchs, like to eat Entoprocts. Certain types of flatworms also prey on them.
Sometimes, Entoprocts live very close to other animals. They might attach themselves to a crab or a worm. This close living arrangement is called an association.
Entoproct Fossils
Finding old Entoproct fossils is very rare. The oldest fossils we are sure about are from the Upper Jurassic period. This was millions of years ago!
Scientists have studied Entoprocts to understand their family tree. Most studies suggest they are related to animals like molluscs (snails, clams) and annelids (worms). However, some research has also suggested they are closely related to Bryozoa.
Names
The name 'Entoprocta' means 'anus inside'. This describes how their body is set up. The other name, 'Kamptozoa', means 'bent' or 'curved animals'. Some scientists use one name, and some use the other.
Images for kids
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Pedicellina cernua (magnified x 27)
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The Mid-Cambrian Dinomischus was once thought to be an early Entoproct, but its classification is not certain.
See also
In Spanish: Entoprocta para niños
