| Class
Stenolaemata Order Cyclostomatida |
Class
Gymnolaemata Order Ctenostomatida |
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| Crisia spp. | Diaperoforma californica | Pherusella brevituba | Bowerbankia |
| Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina |
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| Bugula californica | Bugula neritina |
Cellaria mandibulata | Membranipora fusca | Membranipora serrilamella | Scrupocellaria californica |
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| Celleporella hyalina | Celleporella sp. |
Celleporina robertsoniae | Coleopora gigantea | Eurystomella bilabiata | Hippoporina insculpta | Lagenicella punctulata | Phidolopora pacifica |
| Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Cribimorphina |
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| Watersipora subtorquata | Celleporaria brunnea | Reginella hippocrepis |
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Crisia spp. Phylum Bryozoa, Class Stenolaemata, Order Cyclostomatida, Family Crisiidae Erect, finely branched & delicate; 3-5 cm tall; side branches <1 mm across; white to cream. Common, but patchy; on rocks among red algae & other sessile invertebrates. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: Scrupocellaria has a similar branching pattern but is much more robust with thicker branches. Branching hydroids such as Obelia are much more delicate than Crisia. Image: Diodora aspera (cntr left), Paracyathus (top rt.). Phidolopora pacifica (bottom rt.), Calliostoma ligatum (far left) | back to spp. list | more info | refs. | kelp forest index | |
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Diaperoforma
californica
(d'Orbigny, 1852) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Stenolaemata, Order Cyclostomatida, Family Diastoporidae Erect; branches flattened in cross section 2-4 mm across. Pale yellow or tan. Colonies 5-8 cm thick & >30 cm across in some sites. Moderately common, but patchy in Monterey; provides habitat for many kinds of small motile invertebrates. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to BajaSynonyms: Diaperoecia californica Similar species: branches of Lagenicella are orange-tan, round in cross section rather than flattened, and more tightly packed. Celleporella is creamy white & has thicker branches, round in cross section & grows more erect. | back to spp. list | more info | refs. | kelp forest index | |
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Pherusella brevituba Soule, 1951 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Ctenostomatida, Family Alcyonidiidae Chitinous leathery folded sheets, tan; forms rounded fan-like encrustations on algae; colony appears fuzzy when zooids' large lophophores are extended. Common, usually encrusting vegetative fronds of Cystoseira in Monterey region. Geogr. Range: Monterey Bay(farther north?) to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: Pherusella is not rigid & brittle like most other common bryozoans; it is the most abundant foliacious bryozoan on algae. | back
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forest index
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Bowerbankia Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Ctenostomatida, Family Vesiculariidae Tiny tubular zooids (<0.5 mm tall) interconnected by basal stolons, growing on algae or as minute branching colonies. Appears as a white fuzz or a very delicate hydroid to unaided eye. Common but inconspicuous; especially on wharf pilings & other fouling communities. Geogr. Range: Puget Sound to Gulf of CaliforniaSynonyms: Similar species: | back
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Membranipora
serrilamella
Osburn, 1950 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Membraniporidae Encrusting on kelp or other algae; colonies translucent white; zooids rectangular with clear frontal membrane. Abundant but variable in time and space. On kelp blades as well as smaller algae. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to southern CaliforniaSynonyms: previously identified as the European Membranipora membranacea which was only transitory if introduced at all along Pacific coast. Similar species: Membranipora fusca occurs on rocks rather than algae and its zooids are pale orange with dark orange or brown edges. | back
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Membranipora
fusca
Osburn, 1950 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Membraniporidae Encrusting on rocks, colonies orange with darker orange or brownish margins; zooids rectangular with clear frontal membrane & dark orange borders (inset). Common but inconspicuous on undersides of rocks & in crevices. Geogr. Range: northern & central CaliforniaSynonyms: Similar species: Membranipora serrilamella is white & occurs mainly on fronds of kelp & other algae. Celleporella hyalina is white, appears more glassy when not fouled & colonies often have more circular perimeters. Reginella hippocrepis is yellow rather than orange. However, encrusting bryozoans are difficult to identify in the field & require microscopic examination. | back
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Bugula neritina Linnaeus, 1758 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Bicellariellidae Erect bushy colony, 5-8 cm tall; branches curve slightly inward toward central axis, lightly calcified; dark purple. Common in sheltered sites such as wharf pilings, Deep Reef; sporadic in kelp forests in Monterey. Geogr. Range: Monterey Bay to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: Bugula californica is tan, its branches stiffer and arranged in spirals around central axis of colony. Scrupocellaria is tan, its branches are not spirally arranged and are flat, not curved. Image: Phidolopora (cntr rt.), Metridium farcimen (upper left) | back
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Bugula californica Robertson, 1905 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Bicellariellidae Erect, bushy, 5-8 cm tall; side branches arranged in distinct spirals around central axis; pale orange to tan. Spotty but can be common, on rocks in low intertidal and kelp forest depths; also on wharf pilings. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to southern CaliforniaSynonyms: Similar species: Scrupocellaria is a similar color but its branches are not spirally arranged. Image: compound tunicate (Diplosoma?) rt. side | back
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Scrupocellaria
spp. Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Scrupocellariidae Colony erect & branched, 10 cm tall; branches flattened with two rows of zooids on inward-facing side (biserial); flagella-like vibraculae present. Microscopic examination required to distinguish species. Moderately common, on rocks with other sessile invertebrates & red algae; also on wharf pilings. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: Crisia has a similar branching pattern but is smaller and more delicate. Bugula californica is less common in kelp forests & its side branches are arranged spirally around its central axes. | back
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Cellaria mandibulata Hincks, 1882 Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Anascina, Family Cellariidae Colony erect & branched, 5-8 cm tall; with dark joints separating sausage-like internodes; giant avicularia with dark mandible (visible only under a microscope). Common, but inconspicuous; on rocks among other sessile invertebrates and red algae. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: Thalamoporella californica lacks dark joints & occurs more frequently in southern California (rare in Monterey). Image: Coleopora (middle left), encrusting bryozoan (lower rt.) | back
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Reginella hippocrepis (Hincks, 1882) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Cribimorphina, Family Cribrilinidae Encrusting, pale yellow with dark yellow margin. Common, but inconspicuous, on rock faces and undersides of cobbles & boulders, usually with other encrusting bryozoans & often partially overgrown by neighboring invertebrates or algae. Geogr. Range: Alaska to southern CaliforniaSynonyms: Lyrula hippocrepis Similar species: most encrusting bryozoans are very difficult to identify in the field, though few are as yellow as Reginella. | back
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Celleporella
hyalina
(Linnaeus,
1767) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Hippothoidae Encrusting colony, usually on red algae. Glassy white; colonies dioecious with larger female feeding zooids and minute dwarf male zooids. Very abundant, especially on low-lying red algae such as Rhodymenia. Geogr. Range: Alaska to Galapagos IslandsSynonyms: Hippothoa hyalina Similar species: this is a complex of several species; other encrusting bryozoans also occur on red algae, but require microscopic examination to distinguish. | back
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Celleporella
sp. Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Hippothoidae Erect to 10 cm tall; branches circular in cross section 3-5 mm diameter; white or cream. Very common, on rocks in areas with moderate to strong water motion. Geogr. Range: this is an undescribed species of CelleporellaSynonyms: Similar species: misidentified in many popular sources as Heteropora magna (which is a cyclostome, not a cheilostome). Image: Celleporina robertsoniae (lower left, upper rt) | back
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Celleporaria brunnea
(Hincks,1884) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Curculionoidea Encrusting colony of thick lumpy brown or gray crusts; possess giant interzooecial avicularia with black mandible (only visible under a microscope). Common, especially in protected harbors & wharf pilings. Geogr. Range: Oregon to EcuadorSynonyms: Holoporella brunnea Similar species: . | back
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Eurystomella
bilabiata
(Hincks,
1884) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Eurystomellidae Encrusting with visible zooids; rose red to pink. Common, on rocks, often partially overgrown by other
inverts or algae. Preferred prey of pink hopkinsia nudibranch
Okenia rosacea. Synonyms: Similar species: only rose-pink encrusting bryozoan in Monterey region. Invasive Watersipora usually grows in foliacious erect sheets, but can be just a crust; it is often darker red to nearly black. Image: Balanophyllia elegans (right) | back
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Coleopora gigantea (Canu & Bassler, 1923) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Petraliidae Encrusting with large zooids (1-2 mm) visible to naked eye; aperture round with raised collar-like margin; yellow to pale orange. Common but inconspicuous; on rocks. Geogr. Range: Monterey Bay to BajaSynonyms: Similar species: the many orangish-tan encrusting bryozoans are very difficult to distinguish in the field. | back
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Celleporina
robertsoniae
(Canu
& Bassler, 1923) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Celleporidae Forms low rounded knobs 4 cm tall; bright orange. Common, on rocks interspersed with other bryozoans and sessile invertebrates. Geogr. Range: Alaska to BajaSynonyms: Costazia robertsoniae Similar species: Lagenicella is more branched & erect (not knob-like), its branches are smaller in diameter, more densely packed, & pale orange or tan rather than bright orange. Image: Hippoporina insculpta
(lower left, middle left); Eudistylia polymorpha
(center top); Pisaster giganteus
(cntr bottom)
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Lagenicella
punctulata
(Gabb
& Horn, 1862) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Phylactellidae Erect branched colony 5 cm tall; branches cylindrical 2-3 mm diameter & densely packed; pale orange or tan. Common, on rocks; colony may cover respectable area; interior of colony provides habitat for many different polychaetes, crustaceans, & other small motile invertebrates. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to BajaSynonyms: Lagenipora punctulata Similar species: Celleporella sp. is white, less densely branched with thicker diameters. Celleporina robertsoniae is bright orange, more knob-like and much less branched. Image: Reginella
hippocrepis
(upper rt), Celleporina
(upper
rt corner), Corynactis californica
(left, middle rt.)
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Hippoporina insculpta (Hincks, 1882) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Hippoporinidae Encrusting base growing into foliacious sheet-like folds; golden brown to orange; no lace-like perforations in colony. Common, growing on rocks and encrusting blades of red algae. Geogr. Range: Alaska to central CaliforniaSynonyms: Hippodiplosia insculpta Similar species: Phidolopora pacifica is orange with obvious perforations in colony, giving it a lacy appearance. Invasive Watersipora has similar growth form but is dark rose red rather than golden brown & is more delicate. Image: Celleporella sp.
(upper rt., lower left), Crisia sp.
(top rt. corner), compound tunicate (Diplosoma?)
overgrowing bryozoans
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Phidolopora pacifica (Robertson, 1908) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Reteporidae Erect, foliacious, rigid tuft of folded sheets to 10 cm or more across with lace-like perforations throughout colony; bright to pale orange; zooids only on inner faces of folds. Abundant, on rocks. Often with juvenile Calliostoma annulatum living on colony. Geogr. Range: British Columbia to Galapagos IslandsSynonyms: Similar species: no other foliacious bryozoan in Monterey region has perforations throughout colony. |
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Watersipora
subtorquata
(d'Orbigny, 1852) Phylum Bryozoa, Class Gymnolaemata, Order Cheilostomatida, Suborder Ascophorina, Family Encrusting base growing into foliacious folded sheets. Dark red to black; zooecia with large black opercula. Colonies rigid, but fragile; erect portions appear to die back periodically (gray portion in photo). Increasingly common; fast-growing introduced species; on rocks in kelp forests as well as sheltered sites such as harbors & wharf pilings. Geogr. Range: world-wide distributionSynonyms: Similar species: Hippoporina insculpta has a similar foliacious growth form, but is golden brown to pale orange rather than deep rose red and is not nearly so fragile as Watersipora. | back
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