Required Taxonomy

In lab when you need to know taxonomy generally you will be asked to supply the Genus and common names if they are available. Remember to underline Genera to indicate that they would appear in italics. Species names are also underlined but not higher taxa.

In addition, for animals, you will often supply the required higher taxonomy from this page. For some animals this will just be a Phylum for others it might be the Order, Class, Subphylum, and Phylum. Use everything in the hierarchy that applies to your animal. The list is arranged like an outline with subcategories indented under the larger categories. So work up and left from the identification you’ve made. If you are doing a species list I will need to see all of the required taxonomy for each animal before I sign off the animal.

In class I will give you a insert that fits into the cover of your blue field guides. This list should be cut out and fixed firmly into your field guide. You may use staples or lamination. Do not leave it loose to blow away. Do not forget to do this before the first field trip—you’ll have a hard time doing this taxonomy from memory for every species we see! Remember to also bring your field guide and your clipboard.

Taxonomy of the Animal Kingdom for field book

Phylum: Porifera (sponges)

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa (anemones & corals)

Class: Hydrozoa (hydroids)

Class: Scyphozoa (true jellies)

Phylum: Platyhelminthes (flatworms)

Phylum: Nemertea

Phylum: Echiura (incl. fat innkeeper)

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Polychaeta (bristle worms)

Phylum:Bryozoa

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Polyplacopora (chitons)

Class: Pelecypoda (bivalves)

Class: Gastropoda (snails & slugs)

Class: Cephalopoda (octopus/squid)

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Crusteacea

Subclass:Cirripedia (barnacles)

Subclass: Copepoda

Subclass: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda (crabs, lobster, shrimp)

Order: Isopoda

Order: Amphipoda (beach hoppers)

Phylum:Echinodermata

Class: Asteroidea (true stars)

Class: Ophiuroidea (brittle stars)

Class: Echinoidea (urchins & sand dollars)

Class: Holothuroidea (cucumbers)

Phylum: Chordata

subphylum: Tunicata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class:Osteichthytes (bony fish)

Class: Chondrichthyes (sharks & rays)

Class: Aves (birds)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Creating a Species List

During some field trips your will be instructed to create species lists. You need to use the taxonomy page which you fasten into your field guides to fill out the higher taxonomy section of your species lists. For each species you find where it belongs on that page then list all of the taxa it belongs to which I have put on the required list. For instance a crab would be Order Decapoda, Class Malacostraca, Subphylum Crustacea, & phylum Arthropoda. I also want the common name. For instance: kelp crab, and the Genus, ie. Pugettia. Remember to capitalize and underline genera. On the left leave a column for me to put check marks because I need to verify all your ID’s.