Question

What are the characteristics of Urochordata?

Answer 1

Urochordata:

1. It is a subphylum and is grouped under the phylum Chordata.
2. They have a shape of a bag, sessile and filter-feeding animals.
3. They are found in seawater only.
4. They have a nerve cord and notochord at the tail of their larvae.
5. Both the nerve cord and the notochord are lost during metamorphosis.
6. This phenomenon is called retrogressive metamorphosis.
7. Adults do not have a nerve cord or notochord.
8. They have only gill clefts as the only chordate character.
9. The body of urochordates is covered with a tunic which is formed from the carbohydrate tunicate.
10. They have no gills.
11. Oikopleura, Herdmania, and Salpa are some of the organisms belonging to the subphylum Urochordata.