Branchiostoma

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Branchiostoma
Branchiostoma lanceolatum from Belgium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Leptocardii
Family:
Branchiostomatidae
Genus: Branchiostoma
Costa, 1834
Type species
Branchiostoma lanceolatum
(Pallas, 1774)
Diversity
About 11 species
Synonyms
  • Amphioxus Yarrel, 1836[1]
  • Limax Pallas 1774 non von Linné 1758 non Férussac 1819 non Martyn 1784
  • Dolichorhynchus Willey 1901 non Mulk & Jairajpuri 1974 non Hedge & Kit-Tan 1987

Branchiostoma is one of the few living

Branchiostomatidae
.

Anatomical diagram of B. lanceolatum (click for description)

These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of

anterior end of the dorsal nerve cord
above and in front of them. It dislikes the light.

Branchiostoma grows to lengths of 50 to 60 millimeters in length.

Like all lancelets, they are filter feeders that hide in the sediment most of the time. The genus inhabits coastal waters throughout the world.

Species

References

  1. ^ "Report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for the fiscal year 1928 with appendixes — Part II" (PDF). 1928. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  2. ^ "UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO) - Branchiostoma mortonense Kelly, 1966".
  3. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Branchiostoma mortonense Kelly, 1966".

External links