coelenterate

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coelenterate Alternative name for members of the phylum Cnidaria – aquatic animals which include the jellyfish, sea anemone, coral, and hydroids. Characterized by a digestive cavity that forms the main body, they may have been the first animal group to reach the tissue level of organization. Coelenterates are radially symmetrical, jelly-like, and have a nerve net and one body opening. Reproduction is sexual and asexual; regeneration also occurs. There are c.9,000 species.

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