1. (Noton; back and chorda; cord).
2. Kingdom: Animalia
3. Presence of a notochord
4. They are backboned animals (vertebrates),
5. Most of the living chordates are familiar vertebrate animals.
6. Presence of dorsal hollow nerve cord
7. Blood vascular system: Present, closed type
8. Ventral heart, hepatic portal system and RBC are present.
9. Germ layer: Triploblastic.
10. Symmetry: bilateral symmetry body.
11. Coelom: Present. Well developed
12. Presence of gill (pharyngeal) slits
13. Presence of post anal tail

Phylum Chordata is divided into four sub-phylum:

1. Hemichordata,
2. Urochordata,
3. Cephalochordata
4. vertebrata or Craniata

1. Sub-Phylum: Hemichordata

• (hemi: half; chorde: cord)
• Habitat: exclusively marine
• Notochord present only in anterior region
• Notochord is also known as Buccal diverticulum
• Body is soft worm like
• Body is divided into Probosis, collar and trunk
• Sexes are separate
• Fertilization: external
• Examples: Balanoglossus, Cephalodiscus, Atubaria

2. Sub-phylum: Urochordata

• ( uros: tail; chorde: cord)
• Habitat: marine
• Notochord present only in tail region of tadpole larvae
• Adult lack tail and organ for locomotion
• Sex: Hermaphrodite
• Fertilization: Cross and external
• Development: indirect
• Examples: Hermania, Salpa, Doliolum

3. Sub-phylum: Cephalochordate

• (kephalo: head; chorde: cord)
• Notochord present from head to tail and persist throughout life
• Pharynx is well developed with numerous gill slits
• Coelom present
• Body resemble small fish like
• Circulatory system well developed
• Sexes: separate
• Fertilization: external
• Development: indirect
• Examples; Amphioxus, Asymmetron

4. Subphylum: Vertebrata

• (vertebra: backbone)
• Also known as craniate)
• Habitat: Aquatic as well as terrestrial
• Notochord is replaced by vertebrae or backbone
• Germ layer: triploblastic
• Symmetry: bilateral
• Body divided into head, trunk and tail
• Excretion: a pair of kidney
• Circulation system: closed type
• Blood pigment present
• Sexes: separate
• Fertilization; internal or external

The vertebrata is sub-divided into two divisions:

i. Agnatha (Lack jaw) and

ii. Gnathostomata (Possess jaw).

• The Gnathostomata are further divided into six classes:
• Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia.

Characteristics of Phylum Chordata

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