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 13,220 17,210 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 77%
Arthropoda 954,580 1,214,295 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 79%
Brachiopoda 396 443 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 89%
Bryozoa 5,629 5,486 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Cephalorhyncha 208 198 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 131 179 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 73%
Chordata 68,691 49,693 Brusca R.C. & Brusca G.J. (2003). Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts. 936 pp. 100%
Cnidaria 10,360 10,105 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Ctenophora 165 242 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 68%
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 6,743 7,509 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 90%
Echiura 179 236 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 76%
Entoprocta 171 169 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Gastrotricha 826 790 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Gnathostomulida 101 109 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 93%
Hemichordata 139 120 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Loricifera 22 30 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 73%
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 48,309 80,000 MolluscaBase (2016). Accessed at http://www.molluscabase.org on 2016-12-07 60%
Myxozoa 245 2,402 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 10%
Nematoda 3,455 24,773 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 14%
Nematomorpha 361 351 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Nemertea 1,250 1,200 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Onychophora 167 182 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 92%
Orthonectida 25 20 Brusca R.C. & Brusca G.J. (2003). Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts. 936 pp. 100%
Phoronida 19 10 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Placozoa 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%
Platyhelminthes 9,398 29,285 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 32%
Porifera 8,818 8,346 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Rotifera 2,014 1,583 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 100%
Sipuncula 205 320 Brusca R.C. & Brusca G.J. (2003). Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts. 936 pp. 64%
Tardigrada 1,021 1,157 Zhang Z.-Q., ed. (2011). Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. 88%
Xenacoelomorpha 457 395 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
Bigyra 79 67 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 100%
Ciliophora 8,668 Not available Not available
Cryptista 0 Not available Not available
Foraminifera 9,002 Not available Not available
Haptophyta 0 Not available Not available
Miozoa 21 Not available Not available
Ochrophyta 0 12,500 Guiry M.D. (2012). How many species of algae are there? J. Phycol., 48: 1057–1063. 0%
Oomycota 1,610 1,700 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 95%
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 82,981 87,000 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 95%
Basidiomycota 47,022 50,000 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 94%
Chytridiomycota 1,239 1,250 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. >99%
Glomeromycota 272 275 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 99%
Zygomycota 1,334 1,350 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 99%
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 7,172 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 336,052 340,000 Roskov Y. after Govaerts R. (2015). Personal comment. 99%
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
Cercozoa 55 Not available Not available
Choanozoa 100 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 1,223 1,290 Kirk P.M. (2016). Personal comment. 95%
Mycetozoa 1,166 1,137 Lado C. (2015). Personal comment. 100%
Not assigned 80 Not available Not available
Percolozoa 7 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