''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

lancelet The lancelets ( or ), also known as amphioxi (singular: amphioxus ), consist of some 30 to 35 species of "fish-like" benthic filter feeding chordates in the order Amphioxiformes. They are the modern representatives of the subphylum Cephalochorda ...

s (

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Branchiostomatidae Branchiostomatidae is a family of lancelets The lancelets ( or ), also known as amphioxi (singular: amphioxus ), consist of some 30 to 35 species of "fish-like" benthic filter feeding chordates in the order Amphioxiformes. They are the modern ...

These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

s. The

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

means "gill-mouth", referring to their anatomy – unlike vertebrates, they do not have a true

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

(with a skull capsule,

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

s, nose, a well-developed brain etc.), but merely a mouth adjacent to the gill-slits, with the slightly enlarged

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

end of the

dorsal nerve cord The dorsal nerve cord is a unique feature to chordates, and it is mainly found in the Vertebrata chordate subphylum. The dorsal nerve cord is only one embryonic feature unique to all chordates, among the other four chordate features-- a notochord, ...

above and in front of them. It dislikes the light. Like all lancelets, they are

filter feeder Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

s that hide in the sediment most of the time. The genus inhabits coastal waters throughout the world.

Species

* ''

Branchiostoma africae ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Hubbs, 1927 * ''

Branchiostoma arabiae ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Webb, 1957 * ''

Branchiostoma bazarutense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Gilchrist, 1923 * ''

Branchiostoma belcheri ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Gray, 1847 (Belcher's lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma bennetti ''Branchiostoma bennetti'', the mud lancelet, is a lancelet of the genus ''Branchiostoma'' endemic to the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surro ...

'' Boschung & Gunter, 1966 (Mud lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma bermudae ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Hubbs, 1922 * ''

Branchiostoma californiense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Andrews, 1893 (Californian lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma capense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Gilchrist, 1902 * ''

Branchiostoma caribaea ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Sundevall, 1853 (Caribbean lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma clonasea ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets (order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name ...

'' * '' Branchiostoma elongata'' Sundevall, 1852 * ''

Branchiostoma floridae ''Branchiostoma floridae'', the Florida lancelet, is a lancelet of the genus ''Branchiostoma''. The genome of this species has been sequenced, revealing that among the chordates, the morphologically simpler tunicates are actually more closely rel ...

'' Hubbs, 1922 (Florida lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma gambiense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets (order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name me ...

'' Webb, 1958 * ''

Branchiostoma indica ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Willey, 1901 * ''

Branchiostoma japonica ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name ...

'' Willey, 1896 (Pacific lancelet) * '' Branchiostoma lanceolatum'' Pallas, 1774 (European lancelet) * ''

Branchiostoma leonense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name ...

'' Webb, 1956 * ''

Branchiostoma longirostra ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name ...

'' Boschung, 1983 (Shellhash lancelet) * '' Branchiostoma malayana'' Webb, 1956 * ''

Branchiostoma moretonense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Kelly, 1966; ''

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

'' * ''

Branchiostoma nigeriense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets (order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name ...

'' Webb, 1955 * '' Branchiostoma platae'' Hubbs, 1922 * ''

Branchiostoma senegalense ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets (order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name me ...

'' Webb, 1955 * '' Branchiostoma tattersalli'' Hubbs, 1922 * ''

Branchiostoma virginiae ''Branchiostoma'' is one of the few living genera of lancelets ( order Amphioxiformes). It is the type genus of family Branchiostomatidae. These small vaguely eel- or snake-like animals are close relatives of vertebrates. The scientific name m ...

'' Hubbs, 1922 (Virginian lancelet)

References

External links

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Branchiostoma
Cephalochordata Taxa named by Oronzio Gabriele Costa Chordate genera {{chordate-stub