Gulf of Maine Bryozoa (4 Species)
Gulf of Maine Bryozoa (4 Species)
Gulf of Maine Bryozoa (4 species) may include:
Depending on the “catch of the day,”
common name: leafy bryozoa
Scientific name: Flustra foliacea
Locations: subtidal on sand and cobble bottoms
Seasonality: available year round
Colors: brown, yellow-brown
Size: 2” - 4"
Collected: by hand
Common name: shielded bryozoan
Scientific name: Scrupocellaria scabra
Locations: epiphyte on knotted wrack, ascophyllum
Seasonality: available year round
Colors: tan
Size: 1/2" - 3/4"
Collected: by hand
Common name: lacy crust bryozoan
Scientific name: Membranipora spp.
Locations: grows on macro-algae like kelps & irish moss
Seasonality: available year round
Colors: white colonies
Size: 1" - 12"
Collected: by hand
Common name: sea mat bryozoan
Scientific name: Electra pilosa
Locations: found on kelp fronds and stipes
Seasonality: available year round
Colors: white
Size: 3" - 12"
Collected: by hand
Sea mat may be identified on a macro scale by its classic snowflake pattern.
Tidepool Tim says, “Bryozoans, or sea moss animals, are colonies of microscopic individuals. Each is surrounded by an exoskeleton made of chitin and calcium carbonate. We find these in middle and lower intertidal zones. They survive by eating detritus and plankton floating in sea water, captured using lophophore organs. Their ciliated tentacles can withdraw into the shell, and the animal can close its shell off with its opercula. Get this - some members of the colony are modified with bristled opercula. These ones clean and defend the colony! This assortment will also make for an awesome microscopy identification activity in the lab.”
