Endoskeleton three phyla and one subclass of animals, endoskeletons of various complexity are found: Chordata, Echinodermata, Porifera, and Coleoidea. An endoskeleton may function purely for support (as in the case of sponges), but often serves as an attachment site for muscle and a mechanism for transmitting muscular forces. A true endoskeleton is derived from mesodermal tissue. Such a skeleton is present in echinoderms and chordates. The poriferan 'skeleton' consists of microscopic calcareous or siliceous spicules or a spongin network. The Coleoidae do not have a true endoskeleton in the evolutionary sense; there, a mollusk exoskeleton evolved into several sorts of internal
Bacterial phyla threshold definition by Hugenholtz and Pace: Since then several other candidate phyla have been identified:) Since then a candidate phylum called Poribacteria was discovered, living in symbiosis with sponges and extensively studied. (Note: the divergence of the major bacterial lineages predates sponges) Another candidate phylum, called Tectomicrobia, was also found living in symbiosis with sponges. And "Nitrospina gracilis", which had long eluded phylogenetic placement, was proposed to belong to a new phylum, Nitrospinae. Other candidate phyla that have been the center of some studies are TM7, the genomes of organisms of which have even been sequenced (draft), WS6 and Marine