Porpita is a colonial hydrozoan which lives floating on the sea surface. The polyps are arranged concentrically on the lower surface of a hard, chitinous central disk. There is a large central polyp (gastrozooid) around of which are arranged numerous gastro-gonozoids, polyps responsible for food intake and production of jellyfish. The dactilozooids are the polyps responsible for capturing food and defense, being located more externally.
Porpita is a colonial hydrozoan which lives floating on the sea surface. The polyps are arranged concentrically on the lower surface of a hard, chitinous central disk. There is a large central polyp (gastrozooid) around of which are arranged numerous gastro-gonozoids, polyps responsible for food intake and production of jellyfish. The dactilozooids are the polyps responsible for capturing food and defense, being located more externally.
Anfioxo - detalhe da região anterior, destacando os cirros - estruturas que se dispõem ao redor da boca e impedem a entrada de particulas muito grandes
The subphylum Cephalochordata (called vernacularly as lancelets) is represented by a small (up to 6 cm long) animals characterized to have the notochord as an axial organ throughout the whole body length. The lancelet body plan is similar to that of fishes and other vertebrates: dorsally-situated neural tube, and ventrally-situated alimentary system sandwiched laterally with myotomes (or myomeres), arranged as a series of segmented muscle blocks on each side. They are exclusively marine, inhabiting intertidal to subtidal sandy bottoms in boreal to tropical waters around the world. Recently, however, the true deep-sea species was firstly described. The adults have at benthic life within the superficial layer of bottom sediment, and are filter-feeders. Adults can also swim, but only rarely and sporadically.
Floating colonial hydrozoan - detail of dactylozooids
Porpita is a colonial hydrozoan which lives floating on the sea surface. The polyps are arranged concentrically on the lower surface of a hard, chitinous central disk. There is a large central polyp (gastrozooid) around of which are arranged numerous gastro-gonozoids, polyps responsible for food intake and production of jellyfish. The dactilozooids are the polyps responsible for capturing food and defense, being located more externally.
Hidrozoário colonial flutuante, vista aboral - detalhe da margem do disco central
Porpita is a colonial hydrozoan which lives floating on the sea surface. The polyps are arranged concentrically on the lower surface of a hard, chitinous central disk. There is a large central polyp (gastrozooid) around of which are arranged numerous gastro-gonozoids, polyps responsible for food intake and production of jellyfish. The dactilozooids are the polyps responsible for capturing food and defense, being located more externally.
