Question

Which of the following species does not belong to the phylum Coelenterata?
A. Sea pen
B. Sea feather
C. Sea cucumber
D. Sea fan

Answer 1

Hint: Coelenterata is a phylum belonging to the kingdom of Animalia. The phylum is composed of organisms living in aquatic, and marine habitats. The phylum Coelenterata is another name for the phylum Cnidaria.

Complete step by step answer:
This question can be easily solved by finding out the phylum of each option given and striking out the wrong options.
A. Sea pen- These are marine organisms living in colonies. They are classified under the phylum cnidaria and class Anthozoa. As this species belongs to the phylum cnidaria/Coelenterata, it is not the correct answer.
B. Sea Feather- Also known as feather stars, these organisms have a symmetrical body with spiny and tube feet. They are found in marine habitats. They are classified under the phylum, Echinodermata and belong to the class Crinoidea. As clearly mentioned, these species do not belong to the phylum of Coelenterata, hence it is a correct option.
C. Sea Cucumber- These are marine animals found in sea beds in their adult phase and in a free-floating stage in their larval phase. They have an appearance like a cucumber with tentacle-like tube feet for locomotion. They belong to the phylum of Echinodermata and class, Holothuroidea. As it belongs to a different phylum than Coelenterata, it can also be our correct option.
D. Sea Fan- It is a marine organism and is a type of coral found in the sea bed. It belongs to the phylum cnidaria/Coelenterata and class Anthozoa. As it belongs to the phylum Coelenterata, it cannot be the correct option.
From the above analysis, it is clear that we have more than one option as our correct answer.

Hence, the correct answers are both option (B) and option (C).

Note: Sea feathers or Feather stars are classified under the phylum Echinodermata and not under Coelenterata as mentioned in some online content.