bryozoan

noun bryo·zo·an \ ˌbrī-ə-ˈzō-ən \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of bryozoan

: any of a phylum (Bryozoa) of aquatic mostly marine invertebrate animals that reproduce by budding and usually form permanently attached branched or mossy colonies

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bryozoan

adjective

Recent Examples of bryozoan from the Web

Other species found on shorelines included clams, ballan wrasse and ling, bryozoans and a harbour porpoise.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "Thousands of starfish wash ashore in England after winter weather," 6 Mar. 2018
The warm coastal waters surrounding Gondwana were perfect for new kinds of animals, like brachiopods, crinoids, ostracodes, cephalopods, corals, and bryozoans.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "If you liked the Cambrian Explosion, you’ll love the Ordovician Radiation," 21 Nov. 2017
According to Peter Dockrill of Science Alert, the blob is a type of bryozoan, which begin life as a single invertebrate organism.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Brain-like Blob Found in Canadian Pond," 7 Sep. 2017
Ian Walker is a biology professor at the University of British Columbia who has studied bryozoans.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Mysterious, Brain-Like Blob Found in Lagoon," 31 Aug. 2017
After the first bryozoan sighting in Stanley Park, others were spotted in the pond.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Brain-like Blob Found in Canadian Pond," 7 Sep. 2017
Most were spineless marine critters: sea stars, sea slugs, oysters, barnacles, mussels, amphipods, bryozoans and isopods.

— ben guarino, Alaska Dispatch News, "Plastic junk brought invasive species to U.S. after Japan’s 2011 tsunami," 29 Sep. 2017
Fossil records date ancient marine bryozoans as far back as 470 million years.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Mysterious, Brain-Like Blob Found in Lagoon," 31 Aug. 2017
The bryozoans dissolved completely in as little as two months, surprising scientists who expected the creatures only to shrink in mass or size during the experiment, according to the research published earlier this month.

— walter ko, sacbee.com, "Sea life dissolves quickly in warming waters off California coast, UC Davis finds," 26 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bryozoan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.