Aquatic invertebrates, usually marine, belonging to the phyla Bryozoa and Brachiopoda. Brachiopods, or clam shells, are solitary living invertebrates characterized by two shells and a lophophore, which is a complex food gathering organ. Bryozoans are colonial and include moss coral and moss polyps.
Descriptions of bryozoans and examples of the deleterious effects of nonindigenous species, with links to distribution maps, species lists and related information on bryozoans.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey