Phylum Placozoa
Right now there is only one known species in phylum Placozoa, which is Trichoplax adhaerens. However, evidence shows that it is very possible that many more species in this phylum exist that have not been discovered. Placazoan is a very simple animal, one of the simplest in the whole kingdom of animals. It is not very well known by common people besides scientists, so it doesn’t have a common name. In this document, I’m going to use the word Trichoplax for the genus. Trichoplax is a sponge-like animal that is very small and flattened. It can have many different shapes, from oval to irregular. It is usually around 1mm across, sometimes bigger and sometimes smaller. Like all Parazoans (sponges), Trichoplax has no organs or even tissues. Trichoplax uses body features called flagella (singular: flagellum). It uses its flagella to move along the ocean floor, picking up tiny particles of detritus with its concave underside. It eats the detritus for food. Like many simple animals, Trichoplax reproduces asexually, meaning it reproduces by splitting of parts of its body rather than mating with the same species in the opposite sex. Trichoplax reproduces by budding off small pieces of itself, which grow bigger to become the same species: Trichoplax adhaerens.
Classification:
Kingdom Animalia
Parazoa
Phylum Placozoa
Genus Trichoplax
Species Trichoplax adhaerens
Heading Picture: Flat sponge (Trichoplax adhaerens)
Classification:
Kingdom Animalia
Parazoa
Phylum Placozoa
Genus Trichoplax
Species Trichoplax adhaerens
Heading Picture: Flat sponge (Trichoplax adhaerens)