# Animal Phyla/Table

| Phylum | Meaning | Group | Distinguishing characteristics | Species described |
| Acanthocephala | Thorny head | Thorny-headed worms | Reversible spiny proboscis | about 1,151 |
| Acoelomorpha | Without gut | Acoels | No mouth or alimentary canal |
| Annelida | Little ring | Segmented worms | Multiple circular segments | about 15,000 modern |
| Arthropoda | Jointed foot | Arthropods | Chitin exoskeleton | 1,134,000+ |
| Brachiopoda | Arm foot | Lamp shells | Lophophore and pedicle | between 300 and 500 extant |
| Bryozoa | Moss animals | Moss animals, sea mats | Lophophore, no pedicle, ciliated tentacles | about 5,000 living species |
| Chaetognatha | Longhair jaw | Arrow worms | Chitinous spines either side of head, fins | about 100 modern species |
| Chordata | Cord | Chordates | Hollow dorsal nervous chord | about 100,000+ |
| Cnidaria | Stinging nettle | Coelenterates | Nematocysts (stinging cells) | about 11,000 |
| Ctenophora | Comb bearer | Comb jellies | Eight "comb rows" of fused cilia | about 100 modern species |
| Cycliophora | Wheel carrying | Symbion | Circular mouth surrounded by small cilia | at least 3 |
| Echinodermata | Spiny skin | Echinoderms | Five-fold radial symmetry, mesodermal layer, calcified spines | about 7,000 living species and 13,000 extinct ones |
| Echiura | Spine tail | Spoon worms | Set of hooks at posterior end | about 140 |
| Entoprocta | Inside anus | Goblet worm | Anus inside ring of cilia | about 150 |
| Gastrotricha | Hair stomach | Meiofauna | Two terminal adhesive tubes | about 690 |
| Gnathostomulida | Jaw orifice | Jaw worms | | about 100 |
| Hemichordata | Half cord | Acorn worms | Stomochord in collar | about 100 living species |
| Kinorhyncha | Motion snout | Mud dragons | Eleven segments, each with a dorsal plate | about 150 |
| Loricifera | Corset bearer | Brush heads | Umbrella-like scales at each end | about 122 |
| Mesozoa | Middle animals | Mesozoans | Somatoderm of ciliated cells surrounding reproductive cell(s) | |
| Micrognathozoa | Tiny jaw animals | — | Accordion like extensible thorax | 1 |
| Mollusca | Thin shell | Mollusks / molluscs | Muscular foot and Mantle, round shell | 112,000 |
| Myxozoa | Slime animals | | Polar capsules resembling nematocysts | 13,000+ |
| Nematoda | Thread like | Round worms | Round cross section, keratin, cuticle | 80 000 - 1 million |
| Nematomorpha | Thread form | Horsehair worms | | about 320 |
| Nemertea | A sea nymph | Ribbon worms | | about 1200 |
| Onychophora | Claw bearer | Velvet worms | Legs tipped by chitinous claws | about 200 modern |
| Orthonectida | Straight swim | | | about 20 |
| Phoronida | Zeus' mistress | Horseshoe worms | U-shaped gut | 20 |
| Placozoa | Plate animals | | | 1 |
| Platyhelminthes | Flat worms | Flat worms | | about 25,000 |
| Porifera | Pore bearer | Sponges | Perforated interior wall | over 5,000 modern |
| Priapulida | Penis | Priapulid worms | Retractable proboscis surrounded by papillae | 17 |
| Rhombozoa | Lozenge animal | — | Single axial cell surrounded by ciliated cells | 75 |
| Rotifera | Wheel bearer | Rotifers | Anterior crown of cilia | about 2000 |
| Sipuncula | Small tube | Peanut worms | Mouth surrounded by invertible tentacles | 144-320 |
| Tardigrada | Slow step | Water bears | Four segmented body and head | 1,000+ |
| Xenoturbellida | Strange flatworm | — | Ciliated deuterostome | 2 |
| TOTAL | | | | 2,000,000- |