Description of Collection Contents

The invertebrate collections at the MCZ are estimated to contain almost one million specimens, of which more than 7,663 are the primary types for nominal species and more than 2,000 are paratypes (see table below). The taxonomic groups under the care of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology include sponges, cnidarians, annelids, and all the arthropods except insects and some smaller groups.

Composition of MCZ Invertebrate Zoology Collections
TAXON NAME	GENERAL COLLECTION (# of LOTS)	PRIMARY TYPES (# of lOTS = # of NAMES)	PARATYPES (#of LOTS)
ARACHNIDA
*Acari	15,000	788	230
*Araneae	500,000	3,664	*
Amblypygi	179	1	*
*Opiliones	3000	198	*
Palpigradi	1	0	0
Pseudoscorpiones	493	160	42
Ricinulei	28	1	1
Scizomida	68	6	5
Scorpionida	2167	15	33
Solifugae	269	16	27
Uropygi	40	0	0
*CHILOPODA	6,000	500	430
*DIPLOPODA	11,000	857	750
SYMPHYLA	30	2	2
PAUROPODA	5	0	0
*ONYCHOPHORA	250	11	7
PYCNOGONIDA	216	24	2
*CRUSTACEA	215,000	975	507
*CNIDARIA	150,000	1,358	142
*POLYCHAETA	35,000	329	77
*PORIFERA	2,500	362	4
CTENOPHORA	115	4	6
ECHIURA	133	23	5
SIPUNCULA	705	19	2
*NEMATOMORPHA	58	5	2
*PLATYHELMINTHES	374	25	6
PRIAPULIDA	16	0	0
*NEMERTEA	150	1	1
*"PROTOZOA"	200	0	152
*= GROUPS WHICH ARE PARTIALLY CATALOGUED; NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATE.

* Includes Scorpionida, Ricunulida, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpionida, Solpugida, Schizomida, Uropygida, Amblypygida, Xiphosura, Pycnogonida, Onychophora, Ctenophora, Clitellata, Sipuncula, Echiura, Priapulida, Nematomorpha, Platyhelminthes, Rhynchocoela, Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Rotifera, Acanthocephala, Kinorhyncha, Pogonophora, Tardigrada, Pentastomida, Chaetognatha, and protozoans.