ClipArt ETC
"Amphioxus lanceolatus. A, ventral; B, side view of the entire animal. an, anus; atrp, atriopore; cd. f, caudal fin; cir, cirri; dors. f, dorsal fin; dors. f. r. dorsal fin-rays; gon, gonads; mtpl, metapleure; myom, myomeres; nch, notochord; or. hd, oral hood; vent. f, ventral fin; vent. f. r, ventral fin-rays." -Parker, 1900

Lancelet

"Amphioxus lanceolatus. A, ventral; B, side view of the entire animal. an, anus; atrp, atriopore; cd.…

Lancelet fish (Branchiostoma) is sometimes called amphioxus, the type of the class Leptocardii, is a little creature, half and inch to four inches long. A lancelet may be regarded as a vertebrate reduced to its lowest terms. Instead of a jointed backbone, it has a cartilaginous notochord, running from the head to the tail. A nervous cord lies above it, enclosed in a membranous sheath. No skull is present and the nerve cord does not swell into a brain There are no eyes and no scles. The mouth is a vertical slit, without jaws. In this diagram we see the California lancelet twice the natural size, showing (g) gills, (l) liver, (m) mouth, (n) nerve cord, (nc) notochord.

Lancelet

Lancelet fish (Branchiostoma) is sometimes called amphioxus, the type of the class Leptocardii, is a…