Thesaurus
Term:
Bryozoa (phylum)
Widely distributed, aquatic, invertebrate animals whose members form colonies composed of numerous units called "zooids," hence the term Polyzoa or "many animals." They inhabit both fresh and marine waters. Until the mid-18th century, bryozoans, like corals, were regarded as plants and were referred to "moss animals." Seventy-five years later, the bryozoans were distinguished from the cnidarians, and the characteristic structure of the zooid was first described.
