stinger jellyfi sh


A flash flickers in the dark sea. T e mysterious light seems to dance in the water.


Up close, the mystery is solved. It’s a jellyfish. What an odd creature. Wispy tentacles driſt


behind it. It has no heart, no lungs, no brain, and no bones. Its body looks like a soſt , gooey blob as it bobs in the water. Half a world away, a spider seems to hang in


midair. Its eight jointed legs cling to a thread of silk almost too thin to see. Its eight eyes watch for prey. T e sun lights up the fuzzy hairs that cover the spider’s hard body.


All in the Family A jellyfish and a spider don’t seem to


have much in common. T ey do, though. Both belong to a group of animals called invertebrates. T ese cold-blooded critters don’t have a backbone, or spine. T is group includes everything from sea


sponges to insects. In fact, 95 percent of all animals on Earth are invertebrates. T eir lack of bones doesn’t slow them down. Each has a body that helps them survive. T eir body type depends on where they live and how they eat. It’s a big job keeping track of all these


cucumber spider


invertebrates. To classify them, or put them in groups, scientists look at how the animals’ characteristics are alike or diff erent. T en they sort invertebrates into big groups called phyla. Let’s meet some of these amazing animals.


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