bryozoan
noun
bryo·zo·an
ˌbrī-ə-ˈzō-ən 
: any of a phylum (Bryozoa) of aquatic mostly marine invertebrate animals that reproduce by budding and usually form permanently attached branched or mossy colonies
bryozoan
adjective
Examples of bryozoan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Similar chitinous bristles can be found in some more obscure groups of animals including brachiopods and bryozoans.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
In a study published in April 2023 in Nature Ecology & Evolution, a team of interdisciplinary scientists fished 105 pieces of plastic from the patch and found barnacles and bryozoans stuck to items like toothbrushes, clothes hangers and shampoo bottles.
—Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023
Common coastal stowaways included amphipods, isopods, hydroids and bryozoans, most of which originated from the northwest Pacific.
—Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023
As a result, the fossils found in shale are typically small, aquatic animals and plants, such as bryozoans, brachiopods and arthropods.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2023
In feeding experiments, the lobsters generally avoided whelks with the bryozoan on their shells, but happily consumed them if the shells were scraped clean.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2018
Barkai had noticed that in this area, this particular species of whelk was covered in an encrusting bryozoan (a somewhat coral-esque animal).
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2018
Then there are the bryozoans, a phylum of animals all its own.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020
The most common critters were bryozoans—tiny invertebrates.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2019
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
In a study published in April 2023 in Nature Ecology & Evolution, a team of interdisciplinary scientists fished 105 pieces of plastic from the patch and found barnacles and bryozoans stuck to items like toothbrushes, clothes hangers and shampoo bottles.
—Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023
Common coastal stowaways included amphipods, isopods, hydroids and bryozoans, most of which originated from the northwest Pacific.
—Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023
As a result, the fossils found in shale are typically small, aquatic animals and plants, such as bryozoans, brachiopods and arthropods.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2023
In feeding experiments, the lobsters generally avoided whelks with the bryozoan on their shells, but happily consumed them if the shells were scraped clean.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2018
Barkai had noticed that in this area, this particular species of whelk was covered in an encrusting bryozoan (a somewhat coral-esque animal).
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2018
Then there are the bryozoans, a phylum of animals all its own.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020
The most common critters were bryozoans—tiny invertebrates.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Bryozoan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bryozoan. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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