Life in a tube: morphology of the ctenostome bryozoan Hypophorella expansa.

ABSTRACT: Bryozoa is a large phylum of colonial aquatic suspension feeders. The boring ctenostome Hypophorella expansa is unique and inhabits parchment-like polychaete tubes. Morphological studies date back to the nineteenth century, but distinct adaptations to this specific habitat have not been properly analysed, which prompted us to reexamine the morphology of this recently encountered species. The colony of H. expansa is composed of elongated stolonal kenozooids with a distal capsule-like expansion. A median transversal muscle is present in the latter, and one autozooid is laterally attached to the capsule. Unique stolonal wrinkles are embedded in the thin parts of the stolons. Single autozooids are attached in an alternating right-left succession on subsequent stolons. Polypide mo

SUBMITTER: Prots P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686267 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature