The lophophorates are animals united by a presence of a lophophore, a fan of cilia surrounding the mouth. There are four phyla of lophophorates, sometimes grouped into a single phylum or superphylum Lophophorata:
The relationships of the lophophorate phyla has been largely uncertain, even whether they were protostomes or deuterostomes. Based on genetic studies, they are now usually considered to belong among the Lophotrochozoa, together with phyla such as the molluscs and annelids. Within that group, the lophophorates are likely paraphyletic.
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