The Marine Biology of Spongebob Squarepants

Spongebob Squarepants

• General Term: Sponge• Classification: Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Porifera• Filter feeder – can eat

both plants and animals• Invertebrate - Simplest

animal form• Sessile – they don’t move

around

Patrick Star

• General name – Sea Star, Starfish• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Echinodermata, Class Asteroidea

• Invertebrate with exoskeleton• Mostly carnivorous, but can eat

algae and can filter food• Move around on tube feet – like

little suction cups.

Squidward Tentacles• General name – Squid• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Molusca, Class Cephalopoda

• Invertebrate – Contains a stiff “pen” which is flexible and feather shaped

• Has sensitive tentacles for finding prey – 8 arms, 2 tentacles

• Carnivorous - Has a “beak” to use as a tooth

Eugene Krabs• General name – Crab• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Malocostraca

• Invertebrates – with an exoskeleton

• Crabs have a varied diet, some are filter feeders, other are predators and carnivorous.

• They are decopods – 10 legs

Sheldon J. Plankton

• General name – Plankton (Zoo- or Phyto- ?)

• Classification – Kingdom Monera

• Phytoplankton photosynthesize their food while Zooplankton eat phytoplankton

• Invertebrate – some have exoskeletons

Mrs. Puff

• General name – puffer fish• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Actinopterygii

• Vertebrates – they have a backbone

• Carnivorous – eats shellfish• If eaten, sometimes they can

be poisonous and must be prepared properly before consumption.

Pearl Krabs• General name – Whale• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia

• Vertebrates – they have a backbone

• Mammals – so they must breathe air

• Carnivores – Some hunt and some filter feed

Larry the Lobster

• General name – Lobster• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Malacostraca

• Invertebrate – they have an exoskeleton

• Omnivore - eats both plants and animals

• Decapoda – 10 legs, first set of 3 contain claws

The Anchovies

• General name – anchovy• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Actinopterygii

• Vertebrate – they have a backbone

• Omnivores – Eat plankton (both phyto and zoo) and fish fry (baby fish)

• They are an important source of food for a number of marine predators

Gary the Snail

• General name – Sea Snail• Classification – Kingdom

Animalia, Phylum Molusca, Class Gastropoda

• Invertebrate – does not have a backbone, but does have a protective shell

• Each species of sea snail differs in what they eat, but some are grazers eating plants and algae and some are active predators

Classification System

• How to remember the classification system:• Now make your own:• K ingKingdom _____________________• P hillip Phylum _____________________• C ame Class _____________________• O ver Order _____________________• F rom Family _____________________• G reece Genus _____________________• S inging Species _____________________

Quiz – Turn in on separate sheet of paper• Questions: General Animal Names (not characters)

1. Which are poisonous to eat?2. Which are fish?3. Which are invertebrates?4. Which are carnivorous?5. Which are filter feeders?6. Which have an exoskeleton?7. Which are mammals?8. Which can be a plant or animal?9. Which are decopods?10.List the classification catagories in order.