From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Balanoglossus is an ocean-dwelling acorn worm (Enteropneusta) genus of great zoological interest because it is, like all Hemichordates, an "evolutionary link" between invertebrates and vertebrates. Balanoglossus is a deuterostome, and resembles the Ascidians or sea squirts, in that it possesses branchial openings, or "gill slits", but no notochord and no chorda. It does have a stomochord, however, which is gut chord within the collar. Their heads may be as small as 2.5 mm (1/10 in) or as large as 5 mm (1/5 in).
[edit] Species
- Balanoglossus apertus (Spengel, 1893)
- Balanoglossus aurantiacus (Girard, 1853)
- Balanoglossus australiensis (Hill, 1894)
- Balanoglossus biminiensis (Willey, 1899)
- Balanoglossus capensis (Gilchrist, 1908)
- Balanoglossus carnosus (Willey, 1899)
- Balanoglossus clavigerus (Delle Chiaje, 1829)
- Balanoglossus gigas (Fr. Müller in Spengel, 1893)
- Balanoglossus jamaicensis (Willey, 1899)
- Balanoglossus misakiensis (Kuwano, 1902)
- Balanoglossus natalensis (Gilchrist, 1908)
- Balanoglossus numeensis (Maser, 1913)
- Balanoglossus occidentalis (Ritter, 1902)
- Balanoglossus proterogonius (Belichov, 1928)
- Balanoglossus salmoneus (Belichov, 1928)
- Balanoglossus stephensoni (van der Horst, 1937)
