CLASSIFICATION OF CRYPTOBRANCHUS : HELL BENDER
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- AMPHIBIA ( Scaleless glandular skin , have 3 chambered heart , cold blooded, 2 occipital condyles, can live in water and land both )
Order :- URODELA OR CAUDATA ( Scaleless Amphibia having well developed tail, generally with two limbs, with or without external gills and gill-slits in adults).
Sub-order :- CRYPTOBRANCHOIDEA ( No gills in adults).
Genus :- Cryptobranchus
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Cryptobranchus is commonly found from Louisiana to Ohio (America) Japan, in Eastern Asia, and New York.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Cryptobranchus is found in running water with rock slabs. It feeds on small worms, small fishes and crustaceans.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF CRYPTOBRANCHUS : HELL BENDER
- Commonly known as hell bender.
- Body elongated, depressed, measuring approximately 60 cm and divided into head, trunk and tail.
- Trunk and tail both contain fleshy folds of skin. Tail contains caudal fin.
- Head is broad having nostrils and small eyes without eyelids.
- Gills absent in adults, but the gill cleft or spiracle remains open and acts as ex current opening for the water taken into the mouth during buccal respiration.
- Vomerine teeth are parallel to jaws. Angular and pre-articular of lower jaw separate.
- Forelimbs and hind limbs present.
- Fertilization is external and breeding season is late summer. Females lay about 300 eggs inrosary-like strings and are fertilized when the males deposit sperm masses. The larvae hatch in November
and take several years to mature.
Special features
Cryptobranchus has primitive features, such as open spiracle, absence of gills and presence of 4 epibranchials. interesting and favourite animal.
Identification
The animal contains peculiar fleshy folds of skin and above features, hence it is Cryptobranchus.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- image source – https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inherpatlas.org%2Fspecies%2Fcryptobranchus_alleganiensis&psig=AOvVaw3nreNJkrofN4d-yF_vS-G3&ust=1603957669246000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjkrpOK5tbsAhXNF7cAHS-nC98Qr4kDegUIARCzAQ
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Feol.org%2Fpages%2F331124&psig=AOvVaw3nreNJkrofN4d-yF_vS-G3&ust=1603957669246000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjkrpOK5tbsAhXNF7cAHS-nC98Qr4kDegUIARCxAQ
