Body covered by a chitinous, gelatinous or calcareous exoskeleton
Digestive system is U-shaped with mouth surrounded by a crown of hollow ciliated tentacles called lophophore, esophagus, stomach with caecum, and intestine that opens outside the lophophore
Lophophore extends by increasing coelomic pressure and withdraws by retractor muscles attached to the body wall
Food driven to the mouth through beating of cilia on tentacles
Sessile, most are polymorphic and colonial
Lack special systems for respiration, circulation and excretion - all these functions take place by diffusion
Nervous system includes a ganglion and a nerve ring around the anterior part of the gut, with nerve fibers extending to the lophophore and other organs
