Abstract:

At least 20 of the currently recognized 34 metazoan phyla are represented in the benthic meiofauna: Porifera, Placozoa, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Orthonectida, Rhombozoa, Cycliophora, Acanthocephala, Nemertea, Nematomorpha, Gnathostomulida, Kinorhyncha, Loricifera, Nematoda, Rotifera, Gastrotricha, Entoprocta, Priapulida, Pogonophora, Echiura, Sipuncula, Annelida, Arthropoda, Tardigrada, Onychophora, Mollusca, Phoronida, Bryozoa, Brachiopoda, Echinodermata, Chaetognatha, Hemichordata, and Chordata.