Membranipora membranacea, otherwise known as
Moss animals.
Bryzoans are
colonial microscopic animals that live in both fresh and
salt water.
Like
sponges, they are
filter feaders.
They can be mistaken for
coral and often grow on
algae,
rocks,
shells, and
ship hulls.
The colonies can range from
millimeters to
meters and the induvidual, called a
zooid, is usually less than a millimeter in size.
Although the colonies are considered
nuisances, they produce a remarkable variety of
chemical compounds, some of which are being tested for posible
medicinal uses.