Protostome

Protostomes are a nephrozoan taxon of animals above the level of phylum. It is not part of the normal system of classification.

Protostomia
Temporal range: Ediacaran – Recent
Caribbean reef squid.jpg
The caribbean reef squid, an example of a protostome
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
Superphylum:
Protostomia

Grobben, 1908
Groups

They are a subtaxon of the Bilateria, and are contrasted with the deuterostomes. Protosomes are distingued by their embryo: in deuterostomes, the first opening (the blastopore) becomes the anus, while in protostomes it becomes the mouth.

DNA sequence analysis suggests that protostome animals can be divided into three major groups:

as well as a number of minor taxa, like the Chaetognatha.