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The Arthropods are the largest and most successful Phylum on this planet comprising 80% of the animal Kingdom.

An Arthropod is an animal that possesses these characteristics

A) a mouth and anus at opposite ends of a through gut., B)a hard jointed exoskeleton, C) jointed limbs.

The Phylum Arthropoda is divided into 3 Subphyla each of which is in turn divided into various Classes.

For an alternative taxonomy see the cladogram at the

Tree of Life

*Phylum Arthropoda
o Subphylum Chelicerata
Body in two parts, no antennae.
+ Class Merostomata (Horseshoe Crabs)
+ Class Arachnida (Spiders, Mite, Scorpions e.t.c.)
+ Class Pycnogonida (Sea Spiders)
Subphylum Crustacea
Body in three parts, thorax in eight segments.
+ Class Cephalocarida (Small primitive shrimps only discovered in 1955)
+ Class Branchiopoda (Small primitive animals with gills on their feet i.e. Daphnia)
+ class Ostracoda (small animals which look like miniature bivalves)
+ Class Mystacocarida (Minute thin shrimp like creatures)
+ Class Copepeda (Important small crustaceans such as Cyclops)
+ Class Branchiura (Small blood sucking ectoparasites)
+ Class Cirripeda (Barnacles)
+ Class Malacostraca (75% of all crustaceans, Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimps and Prawns as well as Woodlice)
Subphyllum Uniramia
Body in three parts, thorax in three segments.
+ Class Insecta (Insects)
+ Class Chilopoda (Centipedes)
+ Class Diplopoda (Millipedes)
+ Class Symphyla (Small centipede like creatures which live in leaf litter)
+ Class Pauropoda (Small soft bodied animals of the forest floor)

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