Ruppert/Barnes' best-selling introduction to the biology of invertebrates is highly regarded for its accuracy and strong research base. This thorough revision provides a survey by animal group, emphasizing evolutionary origins, adaptive morphology and physiology, while covering anatomical ground plans and basic developmental patterns. New co-author Richard Fox brings to the revision his expertise as an ecologist, offering a good balance to Ruppert's background as a functional morphologist. Lavish illustrations and extensive citations make the book extremely valuable as a teaching tool and reference source.

1. Introduction to Invertebrates. 2. Introduction to Protozoa. 3. Protozoa. 4. Introduction to Metazoa. 5. Porifera and Placozoa. 6. Introduction to Eumetazoa. 7. Cnidaria. 8. Ctenophora. 9. Introduction to Bilateria. 10. Platyhelminthes and Mesozoa. 11. Nemertea. 12. Mollusca. 13. Annelida. 14. Echiura and Sipuncula. 15. Onychophora and Tardigrada. 16. Introduction to Arthropoda. 17. Trilobitomorpha. 18. Chelicerata. 19. Crustacea. 20. Myriapoda. 21. Insecta. 22. Cycloneuralia (Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Priapulida, Loricifera, Kinorhyncha). 23. Gnathifera (Gnathostomulida, Rotifera, Acanthocephala, Micrognathozoa). 24. Kamptozoa (Entoprocta) and Cycliophora. 25. Lophophorata (Phoronida, Brachiopoda, Bryozoa). 26. Chaetognatha. 27. Hemichordata. 28. Echinodermata. 29. Chordata.

New co-author Richard Fox brings to the revision his expertise as an ecologist, which presents a good balance to Ruppert's background as a functional morphologist. Fox's research is with arthropods, the largest group of invertebrates. He contributes a current perspective on this large group, including many changes in species classification based on molecular evolutionary research. Finally, Fox and Ruppert have co-taught several courses, and they have collaborated on two professional titles. Professor Edward E. Ruppert attended University of North Carolina for both his undergraduate and graduate education, was a North Carolina Board of Technology Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellow, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, and a Smithsonian Institution Senior Postdoctoral Fellow. Professor Ruppert has received the Smithsonian Visiting Investigator Award.