Phylum Bryozoa
Bryozoa are a group of aquatic (marine and freshwater) invertebrates that are colonial, meaning many individuals live together. These colonies can be in a variety of shapes that include massive (solid), foliaceous (sheet-like), dendroid (branching), or fenestrate (windowed-shape) (UCMP). Bryozoa are first recorded in the Early Ordovician (~485 million years ago) and are still alive today. There are approximately 5,000 living species of Bryozoa and over 15,000 species recognized in the fossil record (UCMP). Bryozoa are commonly referred to as ‘moss animals’, although they have no relation to moss. Instead, these animals are more closely related to brachiopods. Bryozoa and brachiopods all possess a lophophore, a filter-feeding organ that creates a current for these animals to pull nutrients from the water.