General Characters of Cephalochordata

Cephalochordates are small fish like animals which show Chordate characters. The notochord
extends the entire length of the body. They show a dorsal, tubular neural cord without a
definite brain.

General Characters:

 Body is fish -like and is useful for burrowing and swimming.

 It has distinct head and tail.
 Appendages are absent.
 Dorsal, caudal and ventral fins are present.
 Body- wall shows one- cell thick, non-ciliated epidermis, dermis, connective tissue,
striated muscle and parietal peritoneum.
 It has no exoskeleton.
 Notochord extends from the anterior end to posterior end.
 Enterocoelic coelom is present. However, reduced in the pharyngeal region by atrium.
 Alimentary canal is long. It includes a large pharynx with many gill-slits ciliary mode
of feeding is developed.
 Gills will perform respiration.
 Circulatory system is closed.
 Heart and respiratory pigments are absent.
 Hepatic portal system is present.
 Excretory system shows paired protonephridia with solenocytes.
 Brain is not present
 Two pairs of cerebral and several pairs of spinal nerves are present.
 Sexes are separate. Gonads are metamerically arranged and with out gonoducts.
 Asexual reproduction will not take place.
 Fertilization is external.
Classification and Systematic position of Cephalochordata

The sub-phylum Cephalochordata has a single class- Leptocardii, which has single family,
Branchiostomidae. This family contains only two genera Branchiostoma and Asymmetron.

AFFINITIES OF CEPHALOCHORDATA

Chordate Features of Cephalochordata (Amphioxus):

1. Presence of dorsal tubural nerve cord.

2. Presence of a long notochord from anterior end to posterior end on the dorsal side.

Because, it extends to the cephalic region. Hence it is called Cphalochordata.

3. Gill silts are present in the pharynx.

4. Presence of post anal tail.

5. The presence of liver diverticulum.

6. The development of hepatic portal system.

7. Presence of Myotomes and which are useful for locomotion.

8. The presence of dorsal, caudal and ventral fins.

- in all these characters Cephalochordata resembles chordates.

Primitive Characters of Cephalochordata:

1. The excretory system contains protonephrldia. Presence of solenocytes is not report-ed in

Chordate animals. But, in Amphioxus solenocytes are associated with Nephridium)’

2. Absence of heart and kidney.

3. Absence of paired limbs or paired fins.

4. Absence of distinct head.

5. Absence of distinct paired sense organs.

6. Gonads are without gonoducts.

Thus cephalochordates will show many primitive characters

Special Characters of Cephalochordata:

1. Because of its ciliary mode of feeding, the pharynx is elaborated with many gill slits. .

2. Oral hood is well developed for ciliary mode of feeding.

3. Because of its ciliary mode of feeding the atrium is very well developed.

Thus, Amphioxus shows some special characters which are developed because of its ciliary
mode feeding.

Relationship with Urochordates:

Cephalochordates share many relations with urochordata.

Similarities:-

1. Presence of gill slits in pharynx.

2. Presence of Endostyle in Pharynx.

3. Presence of Ciliry mode of feeding.

4. Presence of atrium.

Differences :

1. Absence of test.

2. Absence of distinct heart

3. Presence of notoçhord and nervecord in the adults.

4 Presence of Myotomes in the adult.

In this way Cephalochordates differ with Urochordates.

Invertebrate features of Cephalochordates

1. Presence of paired nephridia like annelids.

2. Presence of flame cells like Helminths.

3. Presence of soft body and slug like appearance like molluscans.

ASSIGNMENT TOPICS:
1. Affinities of Cephalochordates
2. General Characters of Cephalochordates / Amphiaxous

QUESTION BANK:
1. Explain the affinities of Cephalochordate animals.
2. What are the evolutionary advances in Cephalochordates?

SEMINAR TOPICS:
1. Comparison of Urochordates and Cephalochordates

QUIZ QUESTIONS:
1. The type of coelome present in cephalochordates is –
a. Pseudocoelome b. Schizocoelome c. Enterocoelome d. None
2. Hepatic portal system appeared for the first time in
a. Echinoderms b. Hemichordates c. Urochordates d.Cephalochordates
3. In Amphiaxous, muscles are segmented to form
a. Myotomes b. Nephrotomes c. Endostyle d. None
4. Type of fins in amphiaxous
a. Paired b. Median c. both d. none
5. In Amphiaxous, endostyle is present ventral to ----
a. Heart b. Midgut c. Rectum d. Pharynx
6. Respiratory organs in Cephalochordates are —
a. Solenocytes b. Skin c. Gills d. None
7. Lancets are included in
a. Urochordata b.Cephalochordata c.Cyclostomata d.Fishes
8. Process of gastrulation in amphiaxous –
a. Involution b.invagination c. Epiboly d. Delamination
9. In Amphiaxous, germ cells are released into
a. Coelome b. Atrium c. Pharynx d.None
10. The other name for Amphiaxous is –
a. Assymetron b. Branchostoma c. Ammocoetus d. None

ANSWERS FOR QUIZ QUESTIONS:

1. C 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. D 6. D 7. B 8. B 9. B 10. B

REFERENCES:
1. Vertebrates – by R.L.Kotpal, Rastogi Publications, Meerut. 8/e, 2011
2. Zoology ( Chordates) – Andhra Pradesh Telugu Academy, 1/e, 2011
3. A Manual of Zoology (Part 2- Vertebrates) – by Ekambaranath Ayer, 3/e, 1973.

WEB RESOURCES:
1. http://www.freebookcentre.net/Biology/Zoology-Books.html
2. https://archive.org/details/InvertebrateZoology
3. http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/InvertZoo/
4. https://www.slideshare.net/
5. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/onlinedictinvertzoology/
6. www.academia.edu
7. www.youtube.com
8. www.wikipedia.org