Lancelets: Cephalochordata - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Lancelets And Vertebrates, Florida Lancelet (branchiostoma Floridae): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Lancelets: Cephalochordata - Physical Characteristics

Lancelets look like slender fish without eyes. They are 0.4 to 3 inches (1 to 8 centimeters) long and whitish to creamy yellow, sometimes with a tint of pink. Mucus secreted by cells in their body covering gives lancelets a pearly sheen. V-shaped lines on the outside of lancelets' bodies outline muscle blocks inside the body. Small bristles surround the mouth. A fin runs along the entire ba…

Lancelets: Cephalochordata - Behavior And Reproduction

Lancelets can swim vigorously forward and backward, but they spend most of their time buried halfway in the sand. They live in masses of more than nine thousand animals per square yard (meter). Depending on the coarseness of the sand, lancelets assume different feeding positions. In coarse sand they bury their entire body with only the head exposed to the water. In fine sand they lie on the bottom…

Lancelets: Cephalochordata - Lancelets And Vertebrates

Lancelets: Cephalochordata - Florida Lancelet (branchiostoma Floridae): Species Account

Physical characteristics: Florida lancelets are whitish to creamy yellow, sometimes with a tint of pink. They have fifty-six to sixty-four muscle blocks and reach a length of 2.5 inches (6 centimeters). Geographic range: Florida lancelets live in the Gulf of Mexico. Habitat: Florida lancelets live on sandy bottoms in shallow seawater. Diet: Florida lancelets eat plant plankton and diatoms. Behavio…