What are arthropods: characteristics, classification and examples

Arthropod animals They are invertebrate animals that constitute the Filo most numerous and diverse within the 29 edges that make up the animal or animal kingdom.

They appeared on the face of the earth approximately about 600 or 500 million years. Several evolutionary studies have revealed how arthropod Differentiated segments that characterize arthropods could be an evolution of the homologous segments of said worms.

In the next sections we will see in detail what are the main characteristics that define this extensive group of animals, as well as many Examples of arthropods To know them more closely.

Arthropods have many common features that allow to group various invertebrate animals that at first glance may seem very different from each other, but that in reality all share a series of anatomical and functional characteristics that allow grouping within Filo arthropods.

Let’s see in the following list what these main characteristics of the arthropods are.

• They present a body with joints: formed by different articulated segments, appendices and an exoskeleton.
• They breathe through a Tracheal system: that allows them the exchange of gases with the atmosphere, although some groups of aquatic arthropods have breathing breath. Learn about animals with tracheal breathing here.
• They have a Adapted digestive system: The different hunting and digestion strategies that characterize each type of arthropod are admonished, sometimes counting with poisonous glands that allow to attack their prey more effectively or the ability to digest their food with the help of chemical substances.
• The reproduction of arthropods It is usually sexual: With the intervention of female and male organisms, although some species are hermaphrodites and others are able to reproduce asexually. Those that do so by asexual reproduction, mostly do so through parthenogenesis and other methods that allow the survival and development of their individuals. If you want to know other hermaphrodite animals: reproduction and examples, do not hesitate to consult the following post.
• Have had a great evolutionary success: since they have conquered different habitats, from marine and sweet aquatic systems, as well as the subsoil, the earth’s surface and the air.
  

Now that we know what arthropods are and what are their characteristics, we will see below the classification of arthropods.

As mentioned above, arthropods constitute the arthropod phylum. This immense edge is divided into four subfiles into which different classes are encompassed. Let’s see them in detail in the following Complete arthropod classification:

• Subfilus Uniteme: This classification of arthropods includes the Diplopod class (Milpiés), Quilopods (Ciepiés), Pauropods (small animals with 9-10 pairs of legs and without eyes), Symphilos (garden cent), and insects. Discover the classification of insects in the following article that we suggest.
• Crustacean subfilos: Brachiopode class (cladóceros and other small crustaceans with gill sheets), remimited (strange blind crustaceans living in caves at great depth, in marine ecosystems), cephalocáridos (few species of bentonic crustaceans), maxilopods (copépodos and other small crustaceans with small size with the abdomen reduced), ostracods (microscopic, with valves) and maracostraits (crustaceans better known as lobsters, crayfish, etc.). You can find out more information about crustaceans: what are, types, characteristics and examples in this post.
• SUBFILO QUICERADOS: The last classification of arthropods includes the arachnid class (spiders, scorpions and mites), merostomados (horseshoe crabs), and picnogagoid (sea spiders). Do not hesitate to consult this post about arachnids: characteristics, types and examples, here.
• Trilobitomorphic extinct subfilus: It included the fascinating trilobites.

Now that we have seen how arthropods are classified, we will discover some examples of arthropods so you can recognize them as soon as they see them.

As we have seen in the previous section, it is possible to differentiate various Types of arthropods according to its anatomical structures and phylogeny. Within this incredible variety, we can see that:

• The Miriápodos: They are the simplest and most primitive arthropods, since they have only head and thorax.
• The arachnids: They present the head and the thorax fused, giving rise to the “cephalothorax”.
• Insects: They appear as the most evolved arthropods, in which the head is composed of the fusion of six different segments in which antennas and oral pieces are inserted, together with a thorax of three segments and an abdomen with eleven, both parties with appendages and structures associated with locomotion and other vital functions of these amazing invertebrate.

Let’s see many arthropod examples more surprising than we can find in each and every one of the different ecosystems of the planet:

• Copépodos
• Cockroaches.
• Beetles.
• Scorpions
• Kril
• Lobsters
• Drop.
• Religious mantis
• Butterflies
• Miriápodos.
• Mites
• Spiders
• Crabs (sailor and sweetAcuícolas).
• Horseshoe or saucepan crabs.
• Shrimp.
• Centollos.
• Cigalas.
• Cladóceros.
• Moisture cochinillas.

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