Membranipora de Blainville 1830

Glatved Strand N

Flustra membranacea.

Glatved Strand N

Bryozoaires. 1- Membranipora membranacea, 2- Membranipora pilosa, 3- Flustra foliacea, 4- Flustra truncata, 5- Crisla eburnea, 6- Alcyonidium gelatinosus; Tuniciers

A colony on a surface blade of kelp. Each individual is extending its feeding tentacles, lophophore. They are spawning fertilized eggs. Each individual compartment is 1mm long.

A closer view of one of the colonies shows the lacelike latticework of the boxlike zooecia.

This closer view of the same colony as above shows the small spines present around some of the zooids. Perhaps this colony has been attacked by nudibranchs lately.

These two young colonies are budding and may soon encrust most of the blade of kelp.

This closeup view of a colony wrapped around a tiny Nereocystis stipe shows the feeding zooids with their lophophores extended in the feeding position.

This young colony on a blade of kelp is 4mm across. It grows by budding.

Twin-shelled larvae, ancestrulae, of the bryozoan Membranipora, recently settled from the plankton.Size 1 mm., 1-2 days old. They already have extended their feeding tentacles. They will grow by budding.

Here is a closer view of the lophophores.

These zooids are ripe with eggs. The color is derived from the carotenoid pigments of ingested diatoms. Each zooid is 1mm long

A view of the open lophophores from above. Photo 2011 by Brianna Payne

Membranipora membranacea bryozoans on a Nereocystis float and blades. (Photo by: Dave Cowles, July 2007)

Membranipora membranacea bryozoans on a Nereocystis float and blades. (Photo by: Dave Cowles, July 2007)

Membranipora pillose;. a few of the cells seen from abo e; 2.Membranipora piloss; a single cell, seen in profile