Ctenophora (; singular
ctenophore, or ; from the Greek κτείς
kteis 'comb' and φέρω
pherō 'carry'; commonly known as
comb jellies) is a
phylum of animals that live in marine waters worldwide. Their most distinctive feature is the ‘combs’ – groups of
cilia which they use for swimming – they are the largest animals that swim by means of cilia. Adults of various species range from a few
millimeters to in size. Like
cnidarians, their bodies consist of a mass of jelly, with one layer of
cells on the outside and another lining the internal cavity. In
ctenophores, these layers are two cells deep, while those in cnidarians are only one cell deep. Some authors combined ctenophores and cnidarians in one phylum,
Coelenterata, as both groups rely on water flow through the body cavity for both digestion and respiration. Increasing awareness of the differences persuaded more recent authors to
classify them as separate
phyla.