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Cnidarians Categories The unifying characteristic of the Cnidarians is the presence of cnidocytes (nematocytes), specialized cells that carry organelles called cnidocysts (nematocysts). It is widely accepted that all cnidarians inherited cnidocytes from a single common ancestor. As for the etymology, the word Cnidaria comes from the Greek word "cnidos", which means "stinging nettle". The corals, which are important reef-builders are placed in this phylum, along with sea anemones, jellyfish, sea pens, sea pansies and sea wasps. Cnidarians are highly evident in the fossil records, having first appeared in the Ediacaran period.
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