Characteristics Of The Arthropods

By

Miha Alam

Can u believe the fact that two out of every three animals are Arthropods?

Habitat: Their habitats range from the deep side of the ocean to the high in the mountains. They also live in the Polar Regions and in the tropics. Arthropods live in four different environments like freshwater, salt water, air and land.

Sizes: Arthropods come in different sizes from 0.3mm to 4 meters.

BASIC Characteristics of arthropods:     

·         Segmented body

·         Exoskeleton

·         Appendage

·         Efficient gas exchange

·         Acute senses

·         Specialized mouth parts

·         Jointed legs

·         Compound Eyes

·         Segmented body

·         Nervous system

·         Complex body systems

DETAILED Characteristics of Arthropods:

Subphylum Trilobitomorpha (extinct):

·         single pair of antennae present, trunk appendages

Subphylum Chelicerata:

·         Antennae absent, first post-oral appendages and pair of chelicerae.

Class Merostomata:

·         Body composed of cephalothoraxes and abdomen, marine  animals, abdominal gills.

Subclass Xiphosura:

·         horseshoe crabs abdominal segmented fused

Subclass Eurypterid:

·         Extinct merostomes. Abdominal segments not fused.

Class Arachnid:

·         Body composed of cephalothoraxes and abdomen with four pairs of legs. Terrestrial; gills absent.

Class Pycnogonida:

·         Narrow trunks and four pairs of long legs.

Subphylum crustacean:

·         Two pairs of antennae, first post-oral appendages, pair of mandibles, appendages primitively branched. Mostly aquatic

Subphylum Branchiopod:

·         Leaf like Setose appendages

Class Copepod:

·         Marine and freshwater, cylindrical tapered body with long first antennae.

Class Cirripedia: 

·         Barnacles, marine, body enclosed with calcareous plates.

Class Malacostraca:

·         8 segmented thorax, on which the legs are located.  6 segmented abdomen

Subphylum Uniramia:

·         1 pair of antennae first post-oral appendages are a pair of mandibles , unbranched appendages,

Class Diplopod:

·         Elongated trunk doubled segmented two pairs of legs.

Class Pauropoda:

·         Elongated trunk of eleven segments, nine of which bear legs.

Class Symphyla:

·         Trunk contains 12 leg bearing segments.

Class Chilopoda:

·         Elongate trunks of many leg bearing segments, large poison claws

Class Insect:

·         head, thorax and abdomen 3 pairs of legs and 2 pairs of wings

Subclass Apterygota:

·         wingless insects

Subclass Pterygota:

·         winged insects