bryozoan
[ brahy-uh-zoh-uh n ]
/ ˌbraɪ əˈzoʊ ən /
adjective
belonging or pertaining to the Bryozoa.
noun
Also called moss animal.
any sessile marine or freshwater animal of the phylum Bryozoa, forming branching, encrusting, or gelatinous mosslike colonies of many small polyps, each having a circular or horseshoe-shaped ridge bearing ciliated tentacles, occurring on algae or on shaded objects.
Words nearby bryozoan
bryology,
bryony,
bryophyllum,
bryophyte,
bryozoa,
bryozoan,
brython,
brythonic,
brześć nad bugiem,
brønsted base,
brønsted theory
British Dictionary definitions for bryozoan
bryozoan
/ (ˌbraɪəˈzəʊən) /
noun
any aquatic invertebrate animal of the phylum Bryozoa, forming colonies of polyps each having a ciliated feeding organ (lophophore)
Popular name: sea mat
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to the Bryozoa
Popular name:
polyzoan,
ectoproct
Word Origin for bryozoan
C19: from Greek
bruon moss +
zōion animal
Scientific definitions for bryozoan
bryozoan
[ brī′ə-zō′ən ]
Any of various small aquatic invertebrate animals of the phylum Bryozoa that are capable of forming vast mosslike or branching colonies attached to seaweed or hard surfaces. Bryozoans reproduce by budding and feed on minute particles of plankton that they capture with tentacles. They are probably related to the phoronids and are the only animal phylum that does not appear in the fossil record until the early Ordovician Period.