Invertebrate Resources on the Internet Stephen A. Smith Abstract exponential expansion of the World Wide Web simply does not allow the publication of such a document. Instead, this The use of invertebrates in research laboratories, classroom resource should be used as a guide for locating preliminary Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ilarjournal/article/52/2/165/659952 by guest on 27 September 2021 teaching, and public displays has greatly increased over the information, beginning with established organizations that past 20 years, accompanied by a corresponding increase in have an interest in expanding knowledge about invertebrates the amount of online information and literature about inver- and/or ensuring their appropriate care and use in the labora- tebrates. This brief overview of Internet resources is intended tory, classroom, or display environment. to aid both novice and experienced individuals in the search The list is organized by general phylum and selected spe- for such information. cies, with a descriptive title, web address, and brief synopsis provided for each website. Specifi c information about tax- Key Words: annelid; arthropod; cephalopod; Internet resource; onomy, natural history, husbandry, culture, welfare, anatomy invertebrate; mollusc; platyhelminth and histology, physiology, ontogeny, genetics, conservation, toxicology, educational resources, listservs, and databases must be derived from each group or species link. nvertebrates consist of over 30 phyla of organisms and ac- The following list includes only those links that are con- count for more than 95% of all animal species on this planet. sidered to be of substantive value, and not sites of primarily I They are extremely diverse organisms, ranging from sim- commercial interest. However, due to the ever-changing ple sponges to complex cephalopods, and have played a major world of the Internet, with new websites springing up every role in exhibits or displays at most aquaria, zoos, and nature day and other sites no longer functional, the accuracy and centers worldwide for over a century. Invertebrates have also consistency of the links cannot be guaranteed.1 In light of the been used for a variety of research purposes, from basic bio- massive amount of information about invertebrates on the logical studies to investigations of mechanisms of cell signal- Internet, it is possible that some useful websites or links are ing to experimental models of cancer and human disease. In inadvertently missing from this compilation. the classroom, invertebrates have been used for teaching zool- ogy, anatomy, physiology, embryology, genetics, husbandry, and conservation to primary, secondary, and college students. General Information The popular use of invertebrates coupled with the emer- The Invertebrate Phyla – Earthlife.net gence of the Internet has spawned an array of online resources www.earthlife.net/inverts/an-phyla.html for invertebrate species. Conservation of invertebrate groups Brief overview of all invertebrate phyla with links to infor- such as marine corals and freshwater molluscs is a major mation on specifi c groups. theme of a number of websites, but only a few websites con- vey serious consideration of the welfare of invertebrates. As Invertebrate – Wikipedia concern increases for the care, welfare, and enrichment of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invertebrate invertebrates cultured and/or maintained in captivity, this Foundational information on the classifi cation, phyla, and will undoubtedly change in the near future. life history of invertebrates. The following compilation of Internet links is designed The Invertebrate Animals to be a practical resource for all who use and care for inver- http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/I/ tebrates, from high school biology teachers to experienced Invertebrates.html researchers. It is not meant to be an exhaustive listing as the Introductory information on the origin and evolution of Stephen A. Smith, DVM, PhD, is a professor of Aquatic, Wildlife, and invertebrates with descriptions of major taxa. Pocket Pet Medicine in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Invertebrates – Animal Kingdom Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. http://animalkingdom.net/category/invertebrates/ Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Stephen A. Smith, General website on invertebrates with links to other websites Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland for specifi c groups. Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060-0442 or email [email protected]. 1All the websites listed here were accessed on March 11, 2011. Volume 52, Number 2 2011 165 The Tree of Life Web Project Catalogue of invertebrate specimens and images from the http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html Hawaiian and Pacifi c areas including a comprehensive General information about the biodiversity, characteris- checklist of all marine invertebrates native to the area. tics, and phylogeny of different groups of invertebrate Invertebrates – Australian Museum organisms. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Invertebrate-Collections Invertebrate Zoology Online – Lander University Catalogue of the museum’s invertebrate collections, which http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/ primarily focus on crustaceans, worms, insects, spiders, Anatomical descriptions, systematics, and references for and molluscs. over 100 invertebrate species used in zoology teaching GBR Explorer – ReefEd and research. www.reefed.edu.au/home/explorer Invertebrates – Biology4kids.com Interactive online guide to the invertebrates of the Great Barrier Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ilarjournal/article/52/2/165/659952 by guest on 27 September 2021 www.biology4kids.com/fi les/invert_main.html Reef. Educational resource on invertebrate classifi cation for pri- Invertebrates as Indicators – US Environmental Protection mary and secondary teachers and students. Agency Invertebrate Lesson Plans – Discovery Education www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/invertebrate.html www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/ Information about invertebrates as biological indicators of invertebrates.cfm watershed health. Lesson plans, materials, suggested readings, and links for Information Resources on the Care and Use of Invertebrates – teaching students in grades 6-8 about invertebrates. US Department of Agriculture Dissections Online – University of Buffalo www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/invertebrates.htm http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/bio/dissections. Online compilation of references related to the care and use html of invertebrates in the laboratory, classroom, or display Links to dissection guides for a variety of invertebrates (earth- environment (AWIC Resource Series No. 8, 2000). worm, crayfi sh, grasshopper, tick, roundworm, starfi sh, Invertebrate Link – Joint Committee for the Conservation of clam, squid, and sponge). British Invertebrates Invertebrate Printouts – Enchanted Learning.com www.royensoc.co.uk/InvLink/Index.html www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/index. Forum to advance the conservation of invertebrates in shtml the United Kingdom through the exchange of informa- Information and printouts on invertebrates for primary and tion among organizations and statutory bodies for the secondary education. development of strategies, policies, and best practice guide lines. Invertebrates – Electronic Zoo/NetVet http://netvet.wustl.edu/invert.htm BugLife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust Links relating to Drosophila, bees, arthropods, worms, and www.buglife.org.uk/ crustaceans. Information about the conservation of European inverte brates. Riverwatch – Aquatic Invertebrates www.riverwatch.ab.ca/how_to_monitor/macroinvertebrates. cfm Basic Information on the Major Information on collecting, identifi cation, behavior, habitat Invertebrate Phyla preference, and pollution tolerance of aquatic inverte- brates. Porifera (Sponges) Marine Species Identifi cation Portal – ETI BioInformatics in Introduction to Porifera – University of California Museum the KeyToNature program of Paleontology http://species-identifi cation.org/index.php www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/porifera.html Information, images, and links for numerous species of Introduction to the simplest phyla of invertebrates, with marine invertebrates. examples of sponge types. Invertebrates – Smithsonian Institute National Zoological World Porifera Database Park www.marinespecies.org/porifera/ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Invertebrates/default.cfm Database of sponges worldwide and part of the global initia- Interactive resource for general information on inverte- tive of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) brates. to register all marine organisms. Invertebrate Zoology – Bishop Museum Sponges of Britain and Ireland www.bishopmuseum.org/research/natsci/invert/ www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/sponge_guide/ 166 ILAR Journal Searchable database of publications on all aspects of sponge Octocoral Research Center – California Academy of Sciences classifi cation and biology (based on the 1992 book http://research.calacademy.org/redirect?url=http:// Sponges of the British Isles: A Colour Guide and Work- researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/izg/orc_home. ing Document, by Ackers, Moss, and Picton; revised in html 2007 by Picton, Morrow, and van Soest). Information about soft corals,