Bryozoans in Lake Monroe, Indiana

This gelatinous ball formed around a stick, and then broke loose. Most of the others were attached to logs along the edge of Lake Monroe, Indiana. Bryzoans (Pectinatella magnifica, of the phylum Ectoprocta) are animal colonies that date to the upper Cambrian era, and have an ecological niche analogous to coral.

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Science & Technology

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• Pectinatella magnifica

[hoosierslim]

This freshwater species of bryozoan is called Pectinatella magnifica, and is a sign of unpolluted water. They like lakes with plenty of suspended solids, Lake Monroe is perfect all the runoff from the creeks, (it's called eutrophic water). Like sponges they filter water for nutrients. Bryozoans are colony animals, and fossils date back to Ordovician period, 450 million years ago. This is a freshwater variety, most species of bryozoans live in saltwater.

[burninbushmen]

they taste good if grilled.

[unb3D6G]

oh cute

[wolphintv]

Good to know exactly what that is (though having something for scale would be nice), because -and this is coming from a big-hearted nature lover- I would probably crap myself if I saw that.

[riverlifeva]

I belive I saw one of these last year in our canal.

[DurdleMcDurdle]

i pulled my boat out of monroe today and there were a couple of these guys on the bottom of the hull. unfortunatley i had to powerwash them off and they seem to have a jellyfish-like consistancy on the inside

[starchaser28]

Very interesting, thanks for the detailed info. We saw one of these in Eagle creek last week and didn't know what it was.

[killakelly9]

yes this is the sewer monster <3 and i love it =^D

[cubbex]

ohhh so those are the bryozoans

[grillcheezz]

its the same thing as the blob in the north carolina sewer!