The anamniotes are an informal group of vertebrates comprising all fish and amphibians, which lay their eggs in aquatic environments. They are distinguished from the amniotes (reptiles, birds and mammals), which can reproduce on dry land either by laying shelled eggs or by carrying fertilized eggs within the female. Older sources, particularly before the 20th century, may refer to anamniotes as "lower vertebrates" and amniotes as "higher vertebrates", based on the antiquated idea of the evolutionary great chain of being.
The name "anamniote" is a back-formation word created by adding the prefix an- to the word amniote, which in turn refers to the amnion, an extraembryonic membrane present during the amniotes' embryonic development which serves as a biochemical barrier that shields the embryo from environmental fluctuations by regulating the oxygen, carbon dioxide and metabolic waste exchanges and secreting a cushioning fluid. As the name suggests, anamniote embryos lack an amnion during embryonic development, and therefore rely on the presence of external water to provide oxygen and help dilute and excrete waste products (particularly ammonia) via diffusion in order for the embryo to complete development without being intoxicated by their own metabolites. This means anamniotes are almost always dependent on an aqueous (or at least very moist) environment for reproduction and are thus restricted to spawning in or near water bodies. They are also highly sensitive to chemical and temperature variation in the surrounding water, and are also more vulnerable to egg predation and parasitism.
