moss animal: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	polyzoan • ectoproct • Bryozoa • Polyzoa • bryozoan • Ectoprocta

Photos

Eurystomella bilabiata, a moss animal from the Order Cheilostomata.

Moss animal (Membranipora)

Illustration of an early Silurian coral-stromatoporoid community showing various labeled marine organisms, including corals, bryozoans, brachiopods, crinoids, trilobites, and a nautiloid, arranged on and around a block of seafloor substrate with a scale bar indicating centimeters.

Silurian Pentamerus community

Line graph showing the number of marine animal families from the Precambrian era to the present, with illustrations of key groups such as trilobites, ammonoids, marine reptiles, and diatoms. The graph highlights major extinction events and a rise to 1,900 living families today.

See All Images →

Topics

Phylactolaemata Gymnolaemata stenolaemate Schizoporella Ctenostomata Cystoporata Cyclostomata Bowerbankia Monobryozoon Zoobotryon sponge annelid echinoderm flatworm cnidarian arthropod mollusk lamp shells Chordate beard worm

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz