Britannica AI Icon

Membranipora

genus of moss animal

Quick Summary

Membranipora is a genus of bryozoans, commonly known as moss animals. Bryozoans are aquatic invertebrates that form colonies composed of many connected units called zooids. Each zooid is typically very small, usually no more than one millimeter in length, though colonies can grow much larger. Historically, bryozoans were mistaken for plants due to their moss-like appearance, leading to the name "moss animal". The genus Membranipora belongs to the order Cheilostomata, which is the most successful group within the bryozoans.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Membranipora
  2. moss animal

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.