Bryozoa \Bry`o*zo"a\, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ? moss + ? animal.]
(Zo["o]l.)
A class of Molluscoidea, including minute animals which by
budding form compound colonies; -- called also Polyzoa.
Note: They are often coralike in form and appearance, each
small cell containing an individual zooid. Other
species grow in delicate, flexible, branched forms,
resembling moss, whence the name. Some are found in
fresh water, but most are marine. The three principal
divisions are Ectoprocta, Entoprocta, and
Pterobranchia. See Cyclostoma, Chilostoma, and
Phylactolema.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
|