Invertebrate Zoology OnLine
Richard Fox, Lander University

Laboratory Exercises to Accompany

Ruppert EE, Fox RS, Barnes RB. 2004. Invertebrate Zoology, A Functional Evolutionary Approach, 7 th ed. Brooks Cole Thomson, Belmont, CA. 963 pp.

This OnLine laboratory manual  features original anatomical descriptions of 112 species for use in invertebrate zoology teaching or research laboratories in North America. The collection was prepared over a period of many years to facilitate and encourage the study of invertebrate animals.  It is a smorgasbord of species intended to provide a selection suitable for courses taught in most parts of North America. Many species,  or their close relatives, also occur in other parts of the world, especially Europe.  Although the chapters are written in laboratory manual format, they can also be used to support research or in other non-teaching situations as introductions to the anatomy of specific invertebrates .

Most of these descriptions are based on dissections of invertebrate animals collected in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Maine, and Oregon beginning in 1980. A few are based on preserved material or commercially prepared slides. The collection is under ongoing revision and new species are added periodically.  The collection is sufficiently diverse to support undergraduate or graduate courses at most localities in North America. 

The anatomical descriptions are presented as laboratory exercises, many of which have been tested by my students in invertebrate zoology courses at Lander University, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, and the Duke University Marine Laboratory. These have benefited from numerous revisions based on many years of student use.

Emphasis is placed on the use of living anesthetized or freshly sacrificed, unpreserved specimens. Where possible species have been chosen that are readily available inexpensively and alive from supermarkets, bait shops, or seafood markets. Whenever possible  exotic (introduced) or commercially farmed species have been used in preference to natives.

Black and white line drawings are embedded in the texts.  Unless otherwise indicated the  illustrations are original. 

These accounts are copyrighted but unpublished. I would appreciate their receiving the same copyright considerations they would enjoy in print. You are encouraged to use them for your research or teaching but not for publication or commercial purposes.  I appreciate being informed and acknowledged when the exercises are used.  Email me at rsfox@lander.edu.

Terminology, phylogeny, and classification conform to usage in Ruppert EE, Fox RS, Barnes RB. 2004. Invertebrate Zoology, A functional evolutionary approach, 7th ed. Brooks Cole/Thomson, Belmont, CA. 963 pp + index. Page and chapter numbers in the following Table of Contents refer to this text. Pertinent figures from the text are indicated by callouts in the lab exercises.  In keeping with the incompatibility of Linnean categories with cladistics-based phylogeny, the use of those categories has been minimized, as it is in the aforementioned text.  For the benefit of those more comfortable with Linnean classifications, the traditional categories are indicated by superscript abbreviations (e.g. P = phylum, C = class, O = order, F = family, i = infra, s = sub, S = super) following the taxon name.

Table of Contents

Miscellaneous
Introduction
Laboratory Techniques   
Supplies and Recipes  
Glossary 

Chapter 3. Protozoa, page 22
Protozoa  

Chapter 5. Porifera , page 77
Porifera  sponges

Chapter 7. Cnidaria, page 111
Anthozoa, page 124
Aiptasia anemone
Metridium anemone
Scyphozoa, page 148
Aurelia moon jellyfish  
Cassiopeia upside down jellyfish
Hydrozoa, page 156
Obelia hydroid
Gonionemus hydromedusa

Hydra hydra

Velella by-the-wind sailor

Chapter 8. Ctenophora, page 183
Pleurobrachia comb jelly  

Chapter 10. Platyhelminthes, page 225
Turbellaria , page 227
Dugesia   planaria
Trematoda page 251
Opisthorchis   fluke
Cestoda page 258
Taenia   tapeworm

Chapter 11. Nemertea, page 270
Heteronemertea
Cerebratulus ribbonworm
Hoplonemertea
Tetrastemma ribbonworm   

Chapter 12. Mollusca, page 283
Polyplacophora, page 292
Katharina chiton


Gastropoda, page 300
Archaeogastropoda
Diodora keyhole limpet  
Tectura    true limpet   

Mesogastropoda
Littorina periwinkle  
Pomacea apple snail
Bellamya mystery snail

Neogastropoda
Busycon and Buccinum whelks
Ilyanassa mud snail

Opisthobranchia
Aplysia    sea hare    
Tridachia sacoglossan

Pulmonata
Helix garden snail
Limax terrestrial slug

Cephalopoda, page 343
Lolliguncula   squid

Bivalvia, page 367
Mytilus blue mussel
Argopecten and Placopecten scallops
Crassostrea American oyster
Actinonaias freshwater mussel
Mercenaria quahog
Corbicula Asian clam
Sphaerium fingernail clam

Chapter 13. Annelida, page 413
Polychaeta, page 422
Nereis clamworm  
Glycera bloodworm  
Eudistylia fan worm
Serpula feather duster worm
Myzostoma crinoid commensal

Oligochaeta, page 459
Lumbricus earthworm

Euhirudinea, page 471
Haemopis   and Hirudo leech

Chapter 14. Sipuncula, page 495
Phascolopsis   peanut worm
Sipunculus   peanut worm

Chapter 15. Onychophora and Tardigrada
Peripatus velvet worm
 

Chapter 17. Trilobitomorpha, page 543
Elrathia trilobite
Triarthrus   trilobite

Chapter 18. Chelicerata, page 554
Xiphosura , page 555
Limulus   horseshoe crab
Scorpiones, page 564
Vaejovis   Carolina scorpion   

Uropygi, page 569
Thelyphonus whip Scorpion  
Aranae, page 571
Argiope   garden spider  
Pseudoscorpiones,   page 584        
Novobisium pseudoscorpion
Solifugae, page 586
Ammotrechella  wind spider

Opiliones, page 588
Leiobunum  harvestman
Acari, page 590
Dermacentor tick
Pycnogonida, page 597
Anoplodactylus   sea spider 

Chapter 19. Crustacea, page 605
Anostraca, page 617
Artemia brine shrimp  
Phyllopoda , page 619
Triops tadpole shrimp
Daphnia water flea
Malacostraca, page 625
Nebalia  
Farfantepenaeus   brown shrimp
Procambarus crayfish
Homarus American lobster
Callinectes    blue crab   
Armadillidium pillbug
Ligia sea slater  
Caecidotea freshwater isopod
Crangonyx freshwater amphipod
Cirripedia , page 678
Pollicipes  and Lepas goose barnacles
Balanus acorn barnacle
 

Chapter 20. Myriapoda, page 702
Chilopoda, page 703
Scutigera house centipede

Diplopoda, page 711
Pachydesmus flat-backed millipede
Narceus   worm millipede

Chapter 21. Hexapoda, page 723
Collembola
Collembola springtail

Orthoptera
Acheta   house cricket
Romalea lubber grasshopper

Blattaria

Periplaneta cockroach

Hemiptera 
Tibicen cicada adult and nymph

Coleoptera
Popillia Japanese beetle adult
Cyclocephala white grubs

Lepidoptera
Calpodes canna leafroller caterpillar
Ceratomia catalpa caterpillar
Papilio carrot caterpillar

Siphonaptera
Ctenocephalides flea

Chapter 22. Cycloneuralia, page 752
Nematoda, page 757
Ascaris Pig roundworm
Cephalobus soil roundworm

Chapter 23. Gnathifera, page 784
Rotifera, page 789
Philodina benthic rotifer
Bdelloidea moss rotifers

Chapter 25. Lophophorata, page 816
Phoronida page 817
Phoronis   phoronid

Brachiopoda, page 821
Lingula inarticulate brachiopod
Terebratella articulate brachiopod

Bryozoa, page 829
Plumatella freshwater bryozoan 
Zoobotryon ctenostome bryozoan  
Bugula   cheilostome bryozoan

Chapter 27. Hemichordata, page 857
Enteropneusta, page 858
Saccoglossus   acorn worm

Chapter 28. Echinodermata, page 872
Asteroidea, page 876
Asterias sea star
Ophiuroidea, page 890
Ophioderma brittle star
Echinoidea, page 896
Strongylocentrotus sea urchin
Clypeaster sea biscuit
Mellita sand dollar
Holothuroidea, page 909
Cucumaria   sea cucumber
Sclerodactyla with notes on Cucumaria, sea cucumber

Crinoidea, page 917
Comactinia feather star

Chapter 29. Chordata, page 930
Urochordata, page 940
Ciona sea squirt    
Molgula   sea squirt
Ecteinascidia compound sea squirt  
Botryllus compound sea squirt
Doliolum thalacean tunicate
Cephalochordata, page 932
Branchiostoma amphioxus

Vertebrata 
Ammocoetes larva, lamprey eel 
Notropis minnow