Where do bryozoans live?
Bryozoans live in almost every kind of benthic (sea floor) habitat in the ocean, from the shore to the greatest depths. On sandy beaches (like Virginia Beach) you would be most likely to find bryozoans living on shells, mermaids’ purses (skate egg cases) or the molted shells of horseshoe crabs. On rocky shores or reefs colonies encrust seaweeds or the undersides of rocks or corals. On sandy or muddy sea floors rooted bryozoans (like these from Antarctica) can be the most abundant animals present. They are very common on floating plastic trash and on ships’ hulls, hitching a free ride for hundreds or thousands of miles. They are also found in fresh water where their colonies are attached to the undersides of rocks as well as submerged wood and the leaves of pondweeds. Some freshwater bryozoans, like Pectinatella, form massive colonies in ponds and reservoirs in late summer and early fall. Other freshwater species form inconspicuous networks like those of Plumatella. Fossil Record of Bry
