Give characteristics of the phylum having parapodia for locomotion. Also name an animal belonging to the same phylum.
The animals belonging to phylum - Annelida have parapodia for locomotion. The characteristics possessed by annelids are as follows
• These are triploblastic animals having bilaterally symmetrical, elongated, vermiform, cylindrical or dorsoventrally flattened body.
• These animals are found in a variety of habitats, i.e. freshwater, marine water as well as on land.
• Annelids are the first animals to develop true body cavity or coelom, i.e. coelomates.
• There is extensive organ differentiation. This differentiation occurs in a segmental fashion with the segments lined up one after the other from head to tail (i.e. metameric segmentation).
e.g. Nereis belongs to Annelida.