Invertebrates
Here's a really quick way of testing if you've learned the meanings of the key words in this section.
Look at the key word on the card and see if you can remember its definition.
If you get stuck, you can be shown the mnemonic to reveal an image that should help you remember.
To check if you're right, or remind you if you've forgotten, press the card to flip it.
Go through the whole list to see how many definitions you can recall.
Revisit any that you had difficulty remembering until you're confident you can
recall all of them.
What are invertebrates?
Animals without a backbone
To remember the term invertebrate, imagine an earthworm goes to a building site for a job but is told that because it doesn’t have a backbone, it will have to insert a brace (invertebrate) to make it stronger.
Name an invertebrate group
Colelentrates
The worm that couldn't work on the building site because she didn't have a backbone is also a keen athlete. She enters a sponsored triathlon, but there's a silly entry rate (coelenterate).
Name an example
Jellyfish
Sea nettle jellyfish.
Name another invertebrate group
Annelids
It's the day of the triathlon, and in the first stage, the worm and the other competitors have to swim across a lake – but when the worm gets out on the other side, she has leeches on an eyelid (annelids).
name an example
Freshwater leech
The Freshwater Leech is a parasite that feeds on the blood of fish, frogs, turtles, and mammals.
Name another invertebrate group
Nematodes
Pulling the leeches off to clear her vision at the start of the cycling stage, the worm notices a fellow competitor has forgotten to put her cycling shoes on. The spectators along the route are able to see her anaemic toes (nematodes), the result of a roundworm infection.
Name an example
Roundworm
This type of nematode can infect the human gut. It can grow up to 35cm long.
Name the next invertebrate group
Mollusc
During the running part of the triathlon, the worm thinks she is going to win but at the last moment, a gangster's moll (mollusc) passes her. The moll looks behind her, grins and wins. Just so that you know, a snail was last to finish!
Name an example
Snail
The garden snail – also known as the European brown garden snail – is a very slow mover and looks harmless enough, but is a major pest in gardens.
Name the next invertebrate group
arthropods
The winner's cup is presented to the gangster's moll by King Arthur on a podium (arthropod).
Examples
Arthropods, including examples, are dealt with in more detail on later pages.
Name the next invertebrate group
Echinoderms (Eck-kyne-oh-derm)
After the triathlon, the gangster's moll feels very tired, so decides to take a holiday. On the beach, she feels a kind of burn (echinoderm) from the sun's powerful rays, so she uses a starfish parasol for shade.
Name an example
Star fish
Star fish
Again the easiest way to remember what arthropods are is to follow our mnemonic story
According to this, what are the first two arthropod classes?
Arachnids and crustaceans
Servants in Spiderman anoraks (arachnids) place Arthur's round table on the podium and bring some crusts (crustaceans) for the king. Some of the crusts were shaped like crabs.
Common examples of these are?
Spiders and crabs
Servants in Spiderman anoraks (arachnids) place Arthur's round table on the podium and bring some crusts (crustaceans) for the king. Some of the crusts were shaped like crabs.
The next arthropod class is ?
Insects
The Knights of the Round Table, always looking for a free meal, join the king. They are very vain and have several mirrors (myriapods) placed around the table so they can admire themselves while eating the bread. The mirrors have lots of legs, like centipedes and millipedes.
Common examples of these include
Flies and beetles
However, a swarm of flies and an army of beetles (insects) are attracted by the bread, so Arthur and his knights leave the podium and order some food in their local inn instead.
How many legs do insects have?
Six
Mnemonic
How many legs do arachnids have?
Eight
Think of a group of kids wearing anoraks (anorak kids – arachnids) climbing a gate (eight).
How many legs do crustaceans have?
Ten
Imagine bread with hard crusts (crustaceans) being pecked by a big hen (ten).
