NANFA-- Stream-dwelling Gelatinous Bryozoans

DasArm_at_aol.com
Fri, 20 Oct 2000 18:36:20 EDT

I saw some of the abovementioned organisms encrusting twigs, pebbles, and
some larger stones in the Misteguay creek today. I've never seen them before,
and thought that they were worth mentioning because of the fact that they are
new to me, and they grow in areas of current which most bryozoan species
typically do not grow in. They were also found in calmer parts of the creek
more off to the side of the current which was strongest in the middle of the
creek, of course. They were yellow gelatinous collections of globules, some
of which were partially covered by algae. they covered significant portions
of the gravel areas and to the point of being another layer of the substrate.

The only other stream-dwelling organisms which I've seen in the creek that
were growing in riffle areas and such were Lophodella carteri; which are not
gelatinous and have the calcified horny cases from which the little white
tentacles, or whatever they are, protrude. They are typically found in the
more swift-flowing areas of the creek and grow sparsely on fist-sized and
larger rocks; often with blackfly larvae clusters colonizing the rocks as
well.

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