Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Bryozoa
‖
Bryˊo-zo′a
,Noun.
pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. [GREEK] moss + [GREEK] animal.]
(Zool.)
A class of Molluscoidea, including minute animals which by budding form compound colonies; – called also
Polyzoa
. ☞ They are often coralike in form and appearance, each small cell containing an individual zooid. Other species grow in delicate, flexible, branched forms, resembling moss, whence the name. Some are found in fresh water, but most are marine. The three principal divisions are , , and . See
Ectoprocta
Entoprocta
Pterobranchia
Cyclostoma
, Chilostoma
, and Phylactolema
. Definition 2024
Bryozoa
Bryozoa
See also: bryozoa
Translingual
Bryozoa colony
Proper noun
Bryozoa
- A taxonomic phylum within the superphylum Protostomia – the polyzoa or moss animals, small aquatic invertebrates filter-feeding animals, almost all of which are colonial, both the individuals and the colonies taking many forms.
Hypernyms
- (superphylum): Eukaryota - superkingdom; Animalia - kingdom; Bilateria - subkingdom; Protostomia - infrakingdom; Spiralia - superphylum
Hyponyms
- (phylum): Gymnolaemata, Phylactolaemata, Stenolaemata - classes
References
- Ruggiero MA, Gordon DP, Orrell TM, Bailly N, Bourgoin T, Brusca RC, et al. (2015) A Higher Level Classification of All Living Organisms. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0119248. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119248. pmid:25923521