Species totals

This table presents a known species tally for the phyla represented in the Catalogue of Life. It compares the current numbers in the Catalogue of Life (both, accepted and provisionally accepted species) and the estimated numbers of species recognised by taxonomists at present. The last column displays the completeness of the Catalogue of Life.

Hover over the book icon to display the source used for the estimate.

Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Animalia
Acanthocephala 1,330 1,192 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Annelida 14,354 17,388 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 83%
Arthropoda 1,000,887 1,257,040 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 80%
Brachiopoda 396 392 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Bryozoa 5,443 6,008 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 91%
Cephalorhyncha 236 198 After Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Chaetognatha 131 170 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 77%
Chordata 69,906 49,693 Brusca R.C. & Brusca G.J. (2003). Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts. 936 pp. 100%
Cnidaria 11,067 10,203 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Ctenophora 200 187 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Cycliophora 2 2 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Dicyemida 122 123 After Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. >99%
Echinodermata 6,794 7,550 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 90%
Entoprocta 171 171 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Gastrotricha 841 794 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Gnathostomulida 101 97 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Hemichordata 139 103 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Micrognathozoa 1 1 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Mollusca 57,772 80,000 MolluscaBase (2016). Accessed at http://www.molluscabase.org on 2016-12-07
72%
Myxozoa 245 2,425 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 10%
Nematoda 3,455 25,033 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 14%
Nematomorpha 361 339 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Nemertea 1,374 1,358 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Onychophora 167 183 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 91%
Orthonectida 25 29 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 86%
Phoronida 19 16 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Placozoa 1 1 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Platyhelminthes 17,204 29,487 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 58%
Porifera 8,899 8,659 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 100%
Rotifera 2,014 2,049 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 98%
Sipuncula 205 320 Brusca R.C. & Brusca G.J. (2003). Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts. 936 pp. 64%
Tardigrada 1,018 1,167 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2013). Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 1-82. 87%
Xenacoelomorpha 456 395 After Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Archaea
Crenarchaeota 58 Not available Not available
Euryarchaeota 319 Not available Not available
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Bacteria
Acidobacteria 15 Not available Not available
Actinobacteria 2,420 Not available Not available
Aquificae 28 Not available Not available
Armatimonadetes 2 Not available Not available
Bacteroidetes 845 Not available Not available
Caldiserica 1 Not available Not available
Chlamydiae 13 Not available Not available
Chlorobi 17 Not available Not available
Chloroflexi 25 Not available Not available
Chrysiogenetes 4 Not available Not available
Cyanobacteria 632 Not available Not available
Deferribacteres 12 Not available Not available
Deinococcus-thermus 74 Not available Not available
Dictyoglomi 2 Not available Not available
Elusimicrobia 1 Not available Not available
Fibrobacteres 2 Not available Not available
Firmicutes 1,842 Not available Not available
Fusobacteria 33 Not available Not available
Gemmatimonadetes 1 Not available Not available
Lentisphaerae 2 Not available Not available
Nitrospira 10 Not available Not available
Planctomycetes 17 Not available Not available
Proteobacteria 3,571 Not available Not available
Spirochaetae 111 Not available Not available
Synergistetes 19 Not available Not available
Tenericutes 202 Not available Not available
Thermodesulfobacteria 7 Not available Not available
Thermotogae 40 Not available Not available
Verrucomicrobia 34 Not available Not available
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Chromista
Acavomonidia 0 Not available Not available
Bigyra 62 67 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 93%
Cercozoa 48 Not available Not available
Ciliophora 8,667 Not available Not available
Cryptista 0 Not available Not available
Foraminifera 8,963 Not available Not available
Haptophyta 0 Not available Not available
Heliozoa 7 Not available Not available
Miozoa 249 Not available Not available
Not assigned 0 Not available Not available
Ochrophyta 3,399 12,500 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 27%
Oomycota 1,616 1,700 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 95%
Picozoa 0 Not available Not available
Radiozoa 417 Not available Not available
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Fungi
Ascomycota 83,837 87,000 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 96%
Basidiomycota 48,405 50,000 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 97%
Chytridiomycota 1,218 1,250 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 97%
Glomeromycota 284 275 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 100%
Zygomycota 1,366 1,350 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 100%
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Plantae
Anthocerotophyta 221 220 Söderström L., Hagborg A., von Konrat M. & al. (2015). World checklist of hornworts and
liverworts. PhytoKeys 59: 1–828. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.59.6261 100%
Bryophyta 13,373 Not available Not available
Charophyta 0 6,000 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Chlorophyta 0 8,000 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Glaucophyta 0 15 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol. 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Marchantiophyta 7,203 7,266 Söderström L., Hagborg A., von Konrat M. & al. (2015). World checklist of hornworts and
liverworts. PhytoKeys 59: 1–828. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.59.6261 >99%
Rhodophyta 0 7,000 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Tracheophyta 343,302 340,000 Roskov Y. after Govaerts R. (2015). Personal comment. 100%
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Protozoa
Amoebozoa 100 Not available Not available
Calcitarcha 0 Not available Not available
Choanozoa 99 Not available Not available
Euglenozoa 0 2,000 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Loukozoa 0 Not available Not available
Metamonada 0 Not available Not available
Microsporidia 1,222 1,290 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 95%
Mycetozoa 1,184 1,184 Lado C. & Hernández-Crespo J.C. (2018). Nomen.eumycetozoa.com. 100%
Not assigned 71 Not available Not available
Percolozoa 4 Not available Not available
Sarcomastigophora 6 Not available Not available
Sulcozoa 0 Not available Not available
Taxon Current number of living species in CoL Estimated number of species known to taxonomists CoL completeness
(accepted and provisionally accepted species)
Viruses
Not assigned 3,186 Not available Not available