Bryozoa
Amathia convoluta
Amathia convoluta
(Common Sheep's-Wool Bryozoan)
(Common Sheep's-Wool Bryozoan)
1. In situ (Greg McFall)
2. In situ (Greg McFall)
3. Out of water - Bryozoan is encrusted by white tunicate, Didemnum sp. (Steve Vives)
Size
Colony height: reaching 10cm (3") tall
Recognition Characters
Forms bushy colonies. Zoarium is erect and jointed and branches appear to be twisted in a tight spiral. Zooecia are arranged in a double rows which spiral counter-clockwise around the stem.
Color
Brown or tannish brown
Habitat & Depth
Attaches to rocks, other shells, and mangrove roots. Can be found in both offshore and estuarine water. To 30m.
Distribution at GRNMS
Common. Attached to ledges and rocky outcroppings.
Geographic Range
East Coast of United States, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, south to Brazil
Behavior & Notes
Synonyms
Amathia alternata
Kaplan 1988