Table 1 Main differences in the myoanatomy of investigated Phylactolaemata. [26, 36, 37]. Two layers of the bodywall muscles are circular + longitudinal, while 3 layers also includes a diagonal one
| Â | tentacle sheath muscles | bodywall muscles | epistome muscles | lophophoral arm muscles | ring canal muscles |
Pectinatella | longitudinal + circular | 3 layers | muscle fibers traversing the epistomal cavity | present + prominent | present |
Cristatella | longitudinal + circular | 2 layers | muscular basket | present + prominent | present |
Fredericella | longitudinal + circular | 2 layers | muscular basket | absent | not described |
Hyalinella | mainly longitudinal | 2 layers | muscular basket +muscle fibers traversing the epistomal cavity | present | present |
Plumatella | mainly longitudinal | 2 layers | muscular basket | present | not described |
Lophopodella | not described | 2 layers | muscle fibers traversing the epistomal cavity | not described | not described |
Lophopus | longitudinal | 3 layers | muscle fibers traversing the epistomal cavity | not described | not described |