Bryozoan Vocabulary
Morphology or Growth Form: Basic physical morphology (form or shape) of the colony. See morphology sheet for an explanation of common growth forms.
Endozone: The inner zone of a massive or erect colony, composed of thin-walled proximal zooecia
Exozone: The outer zone of the colony
Colony: Morphological and functional unit (structure) that acts as a complete organism. Consists of one or more physically connected zooids that are genetically uniform (Budded asexually from one larva).
- Zooarium: The skeleton of the colony (zooecia and inter-zooecial spaces)
Zooid: One of the physically connected morphological units of which a colony is comprised
- Autozooid: Feeding zooid.
- Polymorph or Heterozooid: Zooid that differs distinctly in morphology and function from feeding zooids.
- Mesopore or Mesozooid: space-filling polymorph in exozone between feeding zooecia.
Zooecium: The skeleton of a zooid (Calcareous)
- Zooecial Aperture: terminal skeletal openings (perpendicular to zooidal growth direction. Described based on cross-sectional morphology. May be described as round, subround, polygonal, subpolygonal, rhombic, quadratic, etc.
- Zooecial Wall: Skeletal wall of zooid. May be described as thin, thick, ring-like, etc.
Maculae: small patches (A distinct patch on the colony surface ) of more abundant mesopores. Maculae are the nonzooidal centres of monticules (Bryozoa.net)
Monticule: Cluster of polymorphs which makes a prominence (“hummock”) on colony surface. (≈ Maculae). May be described as rounded, conical, knob-like, evenly spaced, conspicuous, inconspicuous, low, elongate.
Acanthostyle or Acanthopore: A type of stylet, style, spine or spike that protrudes from zooarial surface.
Cystiphragm: Curved partition that divides the zooecia transversely.
Diaphragm: Flat partitions that divide zooecia transversely (Across entire zooidal chamber).