Phylum of small colonial animals, which superficially resemble mosses, hence the common name of moss animals. Each animal, called the zooid, has a crown of ciliated tentacles (a lophophore) and lives in horny, calcareous or gelatinous cases. The colonies of different species vary greatly in appearance. Some look like a clump of seaweeds or moss, while others grow as lacy fans or simply form encrustations.
Because of the many variables, members of the phylum are not easily recognized as a group. Because of their size, identification needs microscopic examination.
The following species may be encountered in the area:
Bracebridgia subsulcata (Smitt, 1873)
Aetea ligulata Busk, 1852
Beania cupulariensis Osburn, 1914
Beania klugei Cook, 1968
Beania mirabilis Johnston, 1840
Scrupocellaria curacaoensis Fransen, 1986
Scrupocellaria carmabi Fransen, 1986
Bugula neritina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Caulibugula dendrograpta (Waters, 1913)
Synnotum aegyptiacum (Audouin, 1926)
Bicellariella chuakensis (Waters, 1913)
Nellia tenella (Lamarck, 1816)
Reteporellina evelinae Marcus, 1955
Bugula minima Waters, 1909
Canda simplex Busk, 1884
Electra bellula (Hincks, 1881)
Schizoporella serialis (Heller, 1867)
Trematooecia aviculifera (Canu & Bassler, 1923)
Steginoporella magnilabris (Busk, 1854)
Hippopodina feegeensis (Busk, 1844)
Celleporaria albirostris (Smitt, 1873)
Membranipora spp.
Parellisina curvirostris (Hincks, 1862)
Smittipora levinseni (Canu & Bassler, 1917)
Thalamoporella distorta Osburn, 1940
Exechonella antillea (Osburn, 1927) |
