Do mechanisms of breathing vary among different groups of animals?

Mechanisms of breathing vary among different groups of animals depending mainly on their habitats and levels of organisation. Lower invertebrates like sponges, coelenterates, flatworms, etc., exchange O₂ with CO₂ by simple diffusion over their entire body surface. Earthworms use their moist cuticle and insects have a network of tubes (tracheal tubes) to transport atmospheric air within the body. Special vascularized structures called gills (branchial respiration) are used by most of the aquatic arthropods and molluscs whereas vascularised bags called lungs (pulmonary respiration) are used by the terrestrial forms for the exchange of gases.