FaunaHub

Major group · Invertebrates

Invertebrates on FaunaHub

Invertebrates — animals without a backbone — make up the great majority of described animal species, from insects to corals and worms. This is the part of FaunaHub with the most room to grow.

Below, each group shows its coverage status. Several groups are still marked “planned” — they have no profiles yet and are queued for verified expansion batches rather than thin pages.

  • Insects

    Partial coverage

    Six-legged arthropods — the most diverse group of animals by described species.

    Insects are widely regarded as the most species-rich animal group, though exact totals vary by source.

    On FaunaHub (6)

    beebutterflyantdragonflyladybugpraying mantis

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    beetle, grasshopper, cricket, moth, wasp, termite, firefly, cicada, cockroach, aphid

  • Arachnids

    Thin coverage

    Eight-legged arthropods — spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites.

    On FaunaHub (1)

    spider

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    scorpion, tarantula, tick, mite, harvestman

  • Crustaceans

    Thin coverage

    Mostly aquatic arthropods — crabs, lobsters, shrimp, krill, and more.

    On FaunaHub (2)

    crablobster

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    shrimp, crayfish, barnacle, krill, giant isopod

  • Mollusks

    Thin coverage

    A huge phylum including snails, clams, octopuses, and squid.

    On FaunaHub (2)

    octopussquid

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    snail, slug, clam, oyster, mussel, scallop, nautilus, cuttlefish, nudibranch, cone snail

  • Echinoderms

    Thin coverage

    Spiny-skinned marine animals — sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, and relatives.

    On FaunaHub (1)

    starfish

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    sea urchin, sea cucumber, sand dollar, brittle star, crinoid

  • Cnidarians

    Thin coverage

    Stinging-celled animals — jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and hydrozoans.

    On FaunaHub (1)

    jellyfish

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    coral, sea anemone, hydra, portuguese man o war, sea fan

  • Annelids

    Planned expansion

    Segmented worms — earthworms, leeches, and marine bristle worms.

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    earthworm, leech, ragworm, tube worm

  • Flatworms

    Planned expansion

    Soft, flattened worms, including free-living planarians and parasitic groups.

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    planarian, tapeworm, fluke

  • Nematodes

    Planned expansion

    Roundworms — an enormously abundant group found in nearly every habitat.

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    roundworm, hookworm

  • Sponges

    Planned expansion

    Simple, filter-feeding animals (Porifera) anchored to the seafloor.

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    sea sponge, glass sponge

  • Other Invertebrates

    Planned expansion

    Many further invertebrate groups exist, from tardigrades to comb jellies and velvet worms.

    On the roadmap (not yet profiled)

    tardigrade, comb jelly, velvet worm, horseshoe crab, sea squirt

Sources

Coverage is representative, not a complete inventory. Taxonomy changes as science improves, and species counts vary by source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are invertebrates less covered?
Invertebrates are vastly diverse and unevenly documented, and good licensed images can be harder to source. FaunaHub is expanding here through dedicated batches (insects, mollusks, and more) with quality gates on sources and images.
Are there really that many invertebrate species?
Invertebrates account for the overwhelming majority of described animal species, though exact totals vary by source and new species are described constantly. We avoid stating a single fixed number.

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