Branchiostomidae

views updated May 11 2018

Branchiostomidae (lancelets; order Amphioxiformes) A family of small, fish-like, marine, coastal animals. Lancelets are the only living representatives of the subphylum Cephalochordata. Although definitely not true fish, lancelets (e.g. Branchiostoma lanceolata) are considered fairly close to the vertebrate ancestral lineage. They have an almost transparent body, no eyes or brains, a permanent notochord extending into the head and a dorsal hollow nerve cord, gill slits, and segmented muscle blocks. They spend most of their lives buried in the sediments beneath the world's oceans.

lancelet

views updated Jun 08 2018

lancelet (amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum) See BRANCHIOSTOMIDAE.

amphioxus

views updated May 17 2018

amphioxus (lancelet, Branchiostoma lanceolatum) See BRANCHIOSTOMIDAE.

amphioxus

views updated Jun 11 2018

amphioxus Another name for the lancelet: see Cephalochordata.

lancelet

views updated May 18 2018

lancelet See Cephalochordata.