Rhabdopleurida

Rhabdopleura
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Hemichordata
Class:	Pterobranchia
Order:	Rhabdopleurida
Family:	Rhabdopleuridae
Genus:	Rhabdopleura Allman, 1869
Species
see text

Rhabdopleurida is one of three orders in the class Pterobranchia, which are small, worm-shaped animals. Members belong to the hemichordates.^[1][2] Species in this order are sessile, colonial, living in clear water and secrete tubes called coenecium. Rhabdopleura is the best studied pterobranchs in developmental biology.^[3] Some claim Rhabdopleura is an extant graptolite.^[4][5]

Taxonomy

This small order is monotypic. It has only a single genus, containing four to six species.

Order Rhabdopleurida

• Family Rhabdopleuridae
  • Genus Rhabdopleura
    • Rhabdopleura annulata Norman, 1921
    • Rhabdopleura compacta Hincks, 1880
    • Rhabdopleura grimaldi Julien (nomen dubium)
    • Rhabdopleura manubialis Julien, 1903 (nomen dubium)
    • Rhabdopleura normani Allmann, 1869
    • Rhabdopleura striata Schepotieff, 1909

References

1. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
2. Eol.org
3. Sato, A; Bishop JDD; Holland PWH (2008). "Developmental biology of pterobranch hemichordates: history and perspectives". Genesis 46 (11): 587–91. doi:10.1002/dvg.20395. PMID 18798243.
4. Sato, A; Rickards, RB; Holland PWH (2008). "The origins of graptolites and other pterobranchs: a journey from ‘Polyzoa’". Lethaia 41: 303–316. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2008.00123.x.
5. Mitchell, Charles E.; Michael J. Melchin; Chris B. Cameron; Jörg Maletz (2012). "Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Rhabdopleura is an extant graptolite". Lethaia. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2012.00319.x. ISSN 0024-1164.

• Marinespecies.org
• ITIS.gov
• Hayward, P.J.; Ryland, J.S. (Ed.) (1990). The marine fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe: 1. Introduction and protozoans to arthropods. Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK. ISBN 0-19-857356-1. 627 pp.