The phylum Cycliophora includes tiny organisms that live in large numbers on the outsides of the mouthparts and appendages of lobsters. The feeding stage permanently attaches to the lobster via an adhesive disk and collects scraps of food from its host's feeding by capturing the scraps in a current created by a ring of cilia. The body is saclike and has a U-shaped intestine that brings the anus close to the mouth. Cycliophorans have a coelom, do not molt (though their host does), and their embryos undergo spiral cleavage.
Based on the information provided, to which clades should cycliophorans belong?
A) Eumetazoa and Bilateria
B) Eumetazoa and Lophotrochozoa
C) Deuterostomia and Ecdysozoa
D) Deuterostomia and Lophotrochozoa

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cycliophorans belong to the clades Eumetazoa, as they are true multicellular animals with tissues, and Lophotrochozoa, as indicated by their spiral cleavage during embryonic development, a characteristic of this group.

The Phylum Cycliophora Includes Tiny Organisms That Live in Large