Rediscovering the unusual, solitary bryozoan Monobryozoon ambulans Remane, 1936: first molecular and new morphological data clarify its phylogenetic position.

ABSTRACT:

Background

One of the most peculiar groups of the mostly colonial phylum Bryozoa is the taxon Monobryozoon, whose name already implies non-colonial members of the phylum. Its peculiarity and highly unusual lifestyle as a meiobenthic clade living on sand grains has fascinated many biologists. In particular its systematic relationship to other bryozoans remains a mystery. Despite numerous searches for M. ambulans in its type locality Helgoland, a locality with a long-lasting marine station and tradition of numerous courses and workshops, it has never been reencountered until today. Here we report the first observations of this almost mythical species, Monobryozoon ambulans.

Results

For the first time since 1938, we present new modern, morphological analyses of this species as

SUBMITTER: Schwaha T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10913646 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature