Invertebrate Animals
Annelids, Arthropods,
Echinoderms, Mollusks
Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension Passages
Name
_______________________
3. Most animals in the world
are:
a. vertebrates
b. invertebrates
2. What do all invertebrates
have in common?
4. Invertebrates: (circle all)
Some invertebrates have a soft body, such as
a. have backbones
b. do not have backbones
the earthworm or sea anemones. Muscles within
c. can have a hard shell
their bodies, help move these invertebrate
d. can live on land or water
animals around.
Some invertebrates have a hard outer shell.
Insects have this shell, called an exoskeleton.
Crustaceans live in water and also have an
exoskeleton.
Invertebrate animals are animals without
backbones. There are so many different and
diverse kinds of invertebrates, that no back
bone is the only things they have in common.
Almost 98% of the animals on earth are
invertebrates.
arthropods, echinoderms, and mollusks.
Read the passage to answer
Animals are categorized into two major groups;
the questions below.
invertebrates and vertebrates. Invertebrates are 1. What are the two groups
of animals?
further divided into groups such as annelids,
Invertebrates
Annelids can live on land and in both fresh
and salt water. Other examples of annelids
are bristle worms and leeches.
The most common annelid is the earthworm.
Earthworms eat soil and excrete castings
from their bodies. These castings are nutrient
filled and very important for plant growth.
Earthworms are considered decomposers,
since they eat the remains of dead plants
and are very important to food webs.
Earthworms are tube shaped and range in
size. They burrow in the soil which can help
protect them from predators.
Annelids are invertebrates with segmented
bodies. They have no hard skeleton or
covering, and no legs. Most have bristles on
their bodies that help them move around.
Annelids
_______________________
4. Annelids: (circle all)
a. have backbones
b. do not have backbones
c. have scales
d. have skeletons
3. An example of an
annelid is:
a. lizard
b. spider
c. worm
2. Describe an earthworm:
1. What is an annelid?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
_______________________
3. Where do crustaceans
live?
2. What are jointed limbs?
1. What sections does an
insect’s body have?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
Crustaceans are arthropods. Most crustaceans 5. Spiders are _____________
with ______________ legs.
live in water, such as crabs, lobster, and shrimp.
4. Arthropods: (circle all)
Arthropods also have jointed limbs, which
a. cannot move
means the joints are softer allowing for
b. are invertebrates
movement. Spiders are arachnids, which are
c. have segments
arthropods with eight legs. Spiders are found on
d. live in water and land
all continents except Antarctica.
An exoskeleton is a hard body covering that
can protect the invertebrate. Insects have this
exoskeleton, which helps support their bodies.
Insects also have six legs and most have wings
and antennae. All insect’s bodies are divided
into three sections; a head, thorax, and
abdomen. There are more species of insects
than any other animal on land.
The largest group of invertebrates are called
arthropods. These invertebrates have
segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a hard
exoskeleton.
Arthropods
All echinoderms have wheel shaped
symmetry, which is similar looking to a bike’s
tires. They have a central disc shape, most
often with arms coming from it. A sand dollar
does not have arms, but it does have a
central disc shape. On the top of the sand
dollar is a pattern that looks like a flower with
five petals.
Many echinoderms have five arms, such as
the starfish, also called a sea star. The sea star
is a star shaped animal that come in many
colors. Although most times they have five
arms, some can have 10 or even 20 arms. Sea
stars can regrow an arm they have lost.
Echinoderms are invertebrates that live in
water. They are found all over the ocean,
often on the sea floor. There are about 7,000
species of these marine invertebrates.
Echinoderms
_______________________
4. Echinoderms: (circle all)
a. do not have backbones
b. are in oceans
c. have symmetry
d. have wings
3. Wheel shaped symmetry:
a. is not common in
echinoderms
b. looks like a bike’s tire
c. is square
2. Describe a sea star?
1. Why is an echinoderm an
invertebrate?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
_______________________
3. Examples of mollusks are:
2. Describe how a squid
swims.
1. Where can mollusks live?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
Mollusks that live in water swim using jet
propulsion. They push water out of their body to
propel themselves through the water. Squid can
4. mollusks: (circle all)
swim faster than any other invertebrate. Their
a. do not have backbones
body shape and placement means that squid
b. can live in water
actually swim backward through the water. Their
c. can live on land
torpedo like body shape helps them with speed.
d. have feathers
Mollusks that live on land are slow moving. They
use a “foot” to get around, which is a muscle
that helps them move. The snail is considered
one of the slowest moving animals. It travels
about 0.03 miles per second, which means it
would take over 33 hours for the snail to travel a
mile.
Mollusks are invertebrates with soft bodies full of
muscle. They are covered with a hard shell. They
can live on land, such as the snail. Mollusks can
also live in water, like the clam.
Mollusks
Answer Key
_______________________
3. Most animals in the world
are:
a. vertebrates
b. invertebrates
Invertebrates have no backbones.
2. What do all invertebrates
have in common?
animals around.
4. Invertebrates: (circle all)
a. have backbones
Some invertebrates have a soft body, such as
b. do not have backbones
the earthworm or sea anemones. Muscles within
c. can have a hard shell
their bodies, help move these invertebrate
d. can live on land or water
Some invertebrates have a hard outer shell.
Insects have this shell, called an exoskeleton.
Crustaceans live in water and also have an
exoskeleton.
Invertebrate animals are animals without
backbones. There are so many different and
diverse kinds of invertebrates, that no back
bone is the only things they have in common.
Almost 98% of the animals on earth are
invertebrates.
Read the passage to answer
Animals are categorized into two major groups;
the questions below.
invertebrates and vertebrates. Invertebrates are 1. What are the two groups
of animals?
further divided into groups such as annelids,
vertebrates
arthropods, echinoderms, and mollusks.
invertebrates
Invertebrates
Name
Annelids can live on land and in both fresh
and salt water. Other examples of annelids
are bristle worms and leeches.
The most common annelid is the earthworm.
Earthworms eat soil and excrete castings
from their bodies. These castings are nutrient
filled and very important for plant growth.
Earthworms are considered decomposers,
since they eat the remains of dead plants
and are very important to food webs.
Earthworms are tube shaped and range in
size. They burrow in the soil which can help
protect them from predators.
Annelids are invertebrates with segmented
bodies. They have no hard skeleton or
covering, and no legs. Most have bristles on
their bodies that help them move around.
Annelids
Answer Key
_______________________
4. Annelids: (circle all)
a. have backbones
b. do not have backbones
c. have scales
d. have skeletons
3. An example of an
annelid is:
a. lizard
b. spider
c. worm
decomposers that burrow in soil.
Earthworms are tube shaped
2. Describe an earthworm:
a segmented body.
1. What is an annelid?
An annelid is an invertebrate with
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
Answer Key
3. Where do crustaceans
live?
Crustaceans live in water.
means more movement.
Jointed limbs are softer which
2. What are jointed limbs?
An insect has a head, thorax and abdomen.
1. What sections does an
insect’s body have?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
_______________________
arachnids
Crustaceans are arthropods. Most crustaceans 5. Spiders are _____________
eight
legs.
with ______________
live in water, such as crabs, lobster, and shrimp.
4. Arthropods: (circle all)
Arthropods also have jointed limbs, which
a. cannot move
means the joints are softer allowing for
b. are invertebrates
movement. Spiders are arachnids, which are
c. have segments
arthropods with eight legs. Spiders are found on
d. live in water and land
all continents except Antarctica.
An exoskeleton is a hard body covering that
can protect the invertebrate. Insects have this
exoskeleton, which helps support their bodies.
Insects also have six legs and most have wings
and antennae. All insect’s bodies are divided
into three sections; a head, thorax, and
abdomen. There are more species of insects
than any other animal on land.
The largest group of invertebrates are called
arthropods. These invertebrates have
segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a hard
exoskeleton.
Arthropods
Name
All echinoderms have wheel shaped
symmetry, which is similar looking to a bike’s
tires. They have a central disc shape, most
often with arms coming from it. A sand dollar
does not have arms, but it does have a
central disc shape. On the top of the sand
dollar is a pattern that looks like a flower with
five petals.
Many echinoderms have five arms, such as
the starfish, also called a sea star. The sea star
is a star shaped animal that come in many
colors. Although most times they have five
arms, some can have 10 or even 20 arms. Sea
stars can regrow an arm they have lost.
Echinoderms are invertebrates that live in
water. They are found all over the ocean,
often on the sea floor. There are about 7,000
species of these marine invertebrates.
Echinoderms
Answer Key
_______________________
4. Echinoderms: (circle all)
a. do not have backbones
b. are in oceans
c. have symmetry
d. have wings
3. Wheel shaped symmetry:
a. is not common in
echinoderms
b. looks like a bike’s tire
c. is square
has many arms.
A sea star is shaped like a star. It
2. Describe a sea star?
An echinoderm has no backbone.
1. Why is an echinoderm an
invertebrate?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
Name
Answer Key
water
snail
squid
3. Examples of mollusks are:
body and swims backward.
A squid pushes water out of its
2. Describe how a squid
swims.
land
1. Where can mollusks live?
Read the passage to answer
the questions below.
_______________________
Mollusks that live in water swim using jet
propulsion. They push water out of their body to
propel themselves through the water. Squid can
4. mollusks: (circle all)
swim faster than any other invertebrate. Their
a. do not have backbones
body shape and placement means that squid
b. can live in water
actually swim backward through the water. Their
c. can live on land
torpedo like body shape helps them with speed.
d. have feathers
Mollusks that live on land are slow moving. They
use a “foot” to get around, which is a muscle
that helps them move. The snail is considered
one of the slowest moving animals. It travels
about 0.03 miles per second, which means it
would take over 33 hours for the snail to travel a
mile.
Mollusks are invertebrates with soft bodies full of
muscle. They are covered with a hard shell. They
can live on land, such as the snail. Mollusks can
also live in water, like the clam.
Mollusks
Name
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