Phylum - Acanthocephala
Common name: Thorny-headed Worms
Name derivation: “thorn head”
- Class: Archiacanthocephala
- Class: Eoacanthocephala
- Class: Palaeacanthocephala
- Class: Polyacanthocephala
Order Count: 10
Family Count: 26
Genus Count: 152
Species Count: 1,330
Earliest Fossil Record: Late Cretaceous 70 - 80 mya
Habitat: Parasitic (Marine, Freshwater, Terrestrial)
Size Range: 1 mm to 65 cm
Notes: Probably descended from Rotifers. Based on Catalogue of Life as of March 2025
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