Fieldtrips and Fieldtrip Classes

Phylum Chordata

Members of the Phylum Chordata possess—during at least some portion of their lives—a dorsal nerve cord, gill slits, a notochord, and a post-anal tail. Chordates can be divided into two types: those with a backbone (Subphylum Vertebrata) and those without a backbone (Subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata). In vertebrate chordates, the notochord is surrounded by (or replaced by) a series of articulating bones, which are called the backbone or the vertebral column.

Click on the links below to learn more about different subphyla of chordates that are found in the intertidal of the Gulf of California. To go back to the Gallery of Marine Life, click here.

To take a practice quiz on the Phylum Chordata, click here.