Orthonectida is a small phylum of simple, worm like animals that live as parasites inside marine invertebrates such as flatworms, mollusks, and brittle stars. Orthonectids alternate between a parasitic stage living within host tissue and a brief free living stage in which sexually mature males and females swim in seawater to reproduce, and because of their greatly simplified body structure the evolutionary relationship of the phylum to other animal groups has long been debated.
Facts
Classification
Living or Extinct Taxonomic Rank Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ131032, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Orthonectida
- Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)
In Group: Minor Animal Phyla, Lead
Orthonectida () is a small phylum of poorly known parasites of marine invertebrates that are among the simplest of multi-cellular organisms.
View the SourceWikidata: Orthonectida
Wikidata Q131032, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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